Turkey urges European involvement in Ukraine peace talks
- Our European friends are rediscovering Türkiye’s merits, stated Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, expressed his belief that both Europe and Turkey should actively engage in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Fidan did not rule out the possibility of making "bitter choices" regarding Ukrainian territorial concessions.
Turkey ready to act for peace
Fidan assured that Turkey is ready to work towards peace and the reconstruction of Ukraine. "But first of all, we need to have a ceasefire. And we need to have a workable, long-term peace plan," he said to TRT World.
The minister emphasized that Europe deserves a place at the negotiating table, and Turkey could contribute "more than many other actors" to the peace process. "This is happening in our immediate neighbourhood… And we have close ties on both sides," noted Fidan.
Fidan also addressed the issue of potential Ukrainian territorial concessions. "In an ideal world, we would like to see that the territorial integrity (of Ukraine) is preserved. But this is a time of war," he emphasized. According to Fidan, time will tell if American mediation will be sufficient to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a compromise.
