Politics
Türkiye urges return to Istanbul format for Russia, Ukraine
Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on Thursday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed concerns about the state of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He warned that the diplomacy was lagging while the conflict continued to escalate. He said Türkiye would continue its political and military support for Ukraine. Fidan also called on the sides to ensure maritime security in the Black Sea and suggested that a moratorium be declared on attacks across the sea, to that extent.
Answering a question, Fidan said Russia was also ready for negotiations with Ukraine, as he observed in his recent visit to Russia.
The minister noted that the spillover of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into the Black Sea was “not desired.”
“It is inexcusable to target Black Sea ports, tankers, fishing boats and risk civilian lives,” he said.
Fidan noted that it was crucial to keep the peace in the Black Sea and urged both sides to act responsibly, “with common sense.” The minister stated that Ankara is searching for new strategies to end the vicious cycle regarding the conflict and that there were “new ideas” brought up in their talks with the sides.
He noted that the “Istanbul format” of peace negotiations should continue, referring to Türkiye’s hosting of multiple talks between the sides. He noted that this format brought together officials from both sides who were specialized in different aspects of negotiations and was transparent.
“Just because the conflict continues, it does not mean that this format should be suspended,” he said. The minister noted that U.S. negotiators also stepped in after the Istanbul talks and that they were working to find a lasting solution to the conflict.
“Unfortunately, right now, the conflict is underway with the risk of escalation,” he added.
He stated that one of the most vital legs of a possible peace deal between the sides was security guarantees for Ukraine, including land, maritime and air components. He said Türkiye agreed to lead the maritime component of the guarantees and that they were on the same page with their allies on this matter.
Fidan arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday after a long train trip from Poland and was scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. The trip marks Fidan’s first visit to Ukraine since May 2025, while the latest ministerial-level visit from Ukraine to Türkiye took place during the NATO summit hosted in Ankara earlier this month. Zelenskyy was among the guests of the summit, where his efforts to rally the international community for more military support paid off, as the summit’s declaration pledged sustainable support to Kyiv against Russia.
“At the NATO summit, the allies delivered strong messages reaffirming their continued support for Ukraine. Since the first day of the war, Türkiye has provided both political and military support to Ukraine. As our president stated during the NATO leaders’ session, we will continue contributing to the list of Ukraine’s prioritized needs. Following the summit, earlier this week, I attended the Coalition of the Willing Leaders’ Summit in Paris on behalf of our president. There, we had the opportunity to discuss various aspects of our support for Ukraine with our counterparts,” Fidan said.
Referring to the devastation and consequences of the war, Fidan said, “While witnessing the destruction and suffering caused by the war, we also observe with appreciation the resilience and solidarity demonstrated by the Ukrainian people.” He added that Türkiye’s greatest wish as a nation is for this suffering to end as soon as possible, and reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty.
Fidan recalled that Türkiye has maintained direct contact with both sides since the beginning of the war, adding that during his visit to Moscow in June, he once again conveyed Türkiye’s call for the war to be brought to an end as soon as possible through peaceful means.
“In the coming period, we will continue and intensify our direct diplomatic efforts, including hosting negotiations once again if necessary,” Fidan said.
He added that bilateral relations between Türkiye and Ukraine continue to deepen and that Turkish companies have maintained their operations in Ukraine despite the ongoing war. Fidan expressed confidence that Turkish companies would continue contributing to Ukraine’s reconstruction, recovery, and economic development in the post-war period. He welcomed the Ukrainian Parliament’s ratification of the free trade agreement signed between Türkiye and Ukraine in 2022, which occurred one day before his visit, expressing great satisfaction that the agreement would now enter into force. He also thanked his Ukrainian counterpart for his efforts. Fidan stated that the agreement would significantly advance the already dynamic trade partnership between the two countries. He said that after the war, Türkiye-Ukraine economic relations would reach a strategic level, creating major opportunities not only for bilateral trade but also for regional and broader international trade through enhanced connectivity.
Fidan also emphasized that the Crimean Tatars occupy a special place in bilateral relations, stating: “We have maintained our principled position regarding the illegal annexation of Crimea from the very beginning and continue to closely monitor developments in the region. On this occasion, I would like to reaffirm once again that Türkiye will always stand by our Crimean Tatar kin.”
‘No winner in war’
Responding to questions from journalists, Fidan said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approaches the issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine war with the principle that, “There is no winner in war, and no loser in peace.” He stated that Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains under guarantee and that Ukraine’s legitimate resistance has taken the war to another level.
“There is no explanation for a conventional war continuing in Europe for five years in the 21st century, becoming increasingly destructive. It is also a war that carries a growing risk of spreading. Geographically, it is expanding, and unfortunately, it is increasingly targeting new objectives, including critical infrastructure. God forbid, the introduction of new types of weapons would further increase this risk of escalation. Therefore, we need peace now more than ever,” he added.
Fidan emphasized that Türkiye continues to support Ukraine while also remaining one of the few countries making efforts to strengthen dialogue with both sides in pursuit of peace. He noted that during his visit to Moscow, he had the opportunity to hear the Russian side’s views firsthand and said that Türkiye had shared its analyses with both parties, including the U.S., which is engaged in mediation efforts.
Turning to navigation in the Black Sea, Fidan said: “The safety of navigation and commercial security in the Black Sea are of vital importance. I discussed this both with the Russian side during my visit to Moscow and with my esteemed counterpart here. I will also raise this issue in my meetings throughout today. It is an important matter for us and for all Black Sea countries.”
Fidan recalled that the United Nations had proposed maintaining commitments regarding energy security and the safety of navigation in the Black Sea even while the war continues. He said the aim was to guarantee grain security, adding: “As you know, two years ago the grain agreement achieved partial success, allowing Ukrainian grain to reach global markets freely during that period. This not only helped stabilize prices but also made a significant contribution to food security in many parts of the world, including Africa.”
With the conflict increasingly spilling over to Black Sea, Türkiye faced threats of stray drones and unmanned maritime vehicles, washing ashore on its coasts and even landing in rural areas. Stray naval mines floating in the Black Sea constitute another threat and prompted Türkiye to establish a demining task force with Bulgaria and Romania. Turkish-owned or operated tankers also face attacks by both sides of the conflict in the Black Sea.
He said he has visited the region regularly since the beginning of the war. “Because we have experience observing, analyzing, and to some extent living through wars, we are saddened to see the very scenarios we feared materializing. There has indeed been a certain degree of escalation, and this increasingly concerns us.” He observed that virtually every available means of warfare has now been employed and that, after exhausting all options, the parties appear to be reaching a psychological point at which they are ready for a cease-fire. “There is a saying that the moment closest to dawn is the darkest hour of the night. We want to believe that this destructive stage the war has reached is a sign that a ceasefire and peace may now be close.”
Fidan said that during his meetings in Moscow, senior Russian officials indicated that the parties are prepared for negotiations. He noted that neither side is opposed to coming together under the mediation of either Türkiye or the United States, describing this as a very significant development for future negotiations.
For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed support for the idea of bringing together Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Türkiye in a bid to end the conflict.
Sybiha noted that Erdoğan endeavored to end the conflict. He underlined that the meeting of Zelenskyy and Putin would add a new momentum to the peace process. He said Türkiye’s efforts to that extent was significant, adding that Ankara was one of the global diplomacy hubs for a swift peace.
Kremlin’s response
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Thursday that there is no immediate prospect for resuming peace talks with Ukraine, though it said that Russia remains open to it. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was grateful for Türkiye’s willingness to help peace efforts.
Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin was monitoring a major reshuffle of Zelenskyy’s government, but the naming of a new prime minister and defense minister would make no difference unless Kyiv was willing to make decisions leading to a peace settlement.
Responding to speculations that S-400 missile defense systems would be sold to a third country, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday that “multilateral work” was underway and the public would be informed “once concrete steps are taken.”
This month’s NATO summit and U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye led to rumors that Ankara may give up the missile system it acquired from Russia in 2019. The acquisition led the U.S. to speed up the sanctions process against the country it is allied with in NATO. On the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump has also signaled an end to Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions against Türkiye. Turkish media outlets have claimed that the Russian system would be sold to either Qatar or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two countries that have faced the risk of spillover of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran since February.
Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after arriving in Ankara for the NATO leaders summit, Trump said the time had come to remove sanctions that have strained relations between the two NATO allies.
“We’re going to lift the sanctions,” Trump said. “We don’t want to sanction our friends. I don’t want to choke my friend with sanctions.”
Calling Türkiye a militarily powerful country under Erdoğan’s leadership, Trump remarked that relations between Washington and Ankara were at their strongest point in years.
“I have great respect for President Erdoğan,” he said. “This is truly in the interest of both countries. I can say that our relationship with Türkiye is better now than it has ever been.”
Cyprus dispute
The ministry also commented on the European Parliament’s recent approval of a controversial report regarding Cyprus. The report claimed Turkish troops who were deployed to the island for the 1974 Peace Operation to save Turkish Cypriots from massacres by Greek Cypriot gangs were involved in sex crimes against Greek Cypriots. The ministry said the allegations in the report were baseless and heinous.
In a statement, the ministry said the report also chose to ignore massacres of Turkish Cypriots in the divided island, and this alone was the indicator of a biased approach of the European Parliament, which based its report on Greek Cypriot propaganda.
The ministry noted that Türkiye ended attacks on the existence of Turkish Cypriots through its peace operation, which was based on Türkiye’s legitimate rights and authority cemented in international agreements.
“The Turkish military presence on the island has safeguarded peace, security and stability on the island for more than half a century. The Republic of Türkiye, as a guarantor state, will continue protecting the Turkish Cypriot people’s rights, interests and security. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are determined to respond to any hostile acts targeting the security of Turkish Cypriot people,” the statement said.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will mark another milestone in its political journey that began on Aug. 14, 2001. The People’s Garden in Ankara, an example of the AK Party government’s brainchild to expand public parks, will host the celebrations for the party’s 25th anniversary.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who helmed the party throughout the stormy times to the successive victories, will join the celebration.
The celebration will also mark the start of the party’s campaign for the 2028 elections. Thousands of AK Party supporters are expected to turn out for the event.
Evolved from a modest gathering of experienced politicians and newcomers calling themselves the “Movement of the Virtuous,” the party went on a streak of successive election victories for two decades. It is credited with transforming Türkiye in the first two decades of the 2000s, from education and health care to the arts, democracy, human rights, the defense industry and energy.
Nowadays, the party, under the leadership of Erdoğan, is working toward achieving the ambitious “Century of Türkiye” vision, a new set of reforms aimed at enhancing Türkiye’s standing in the world and improving the lives of the Turkish nation in all fields.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday praised Türkiye’s ongoing mediation efforts, expressing gratitude to Ankara for its diplomatic work to broker negotiations with Russia to help end the war, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came after he met in Kyiv with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whom he awarded the Order of Merit, Second Class.
“I am grateful to Türkiye and to the Minister personally for the efforts to bring peace closer,” the president wrote on the social media platform X.
“Today, we discussed the diplomatic situation and the steps that could reinvigorate efforts to achieve peace.”
NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with its warring Black Sea neighbors, pitching itself as a key go-between and possible peacemaker between the two.
It has played a role in brokering several prisoner swap deals between Russia and Ukraine and helped put in place a deal in 2022 to ensure grain could be shipped safely from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. The accord remained in effect for a year.
Istanbul was the venue of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the early weeks of the conflict four years ago.
Ukraine is in its best battlefield position since late 2022, gaining new battlefield momentum while striking Russia’s oil sector and military logistics in drone and missile attacks.
Despite those gains, Kyiv’s forces still face grinding Russian advances in the east amid a critical shortage of ground troops, as well as a lack of air defenses as Moscow steps up strikes with ballistic missiles.
Throughout the conflict, Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly struck each other’s ships in the Black Sea, a key shipping route for both countries’ exports as well as Türkiye’s.
Zelenskyy said he and Fidan discussed the situation on the battlefield, as well as Ankara’s diplomatic contacts at various levels.
Earlier on Thursday, Fidan said the “Istanbul format” of peace negotiations between its Black Sea neighbors should continue.
He also said Türkiye did not want to see the war spread further into the Black Sea, adding that Ankara is exploring new strategic approaches to break the current deadlock in the conflict.
“There is simply no explanation for a war in Europe to continue for five years in the 21st century. We need peace more than ever,” Fidan said at a news conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart.
Fidan, who met President Vladimir Putin in Russia last month, said Türkiye was ready to host future talks.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Zelenskyy would be ready to meet Putin in Türkiye.
The Kremlin chief has repeatedly rejected meeting Zelenskyy until a deal is agreed to end the war.
U.S.-led talks have also stalled and the two sides remain far apart in their terms for peace.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Parliament ratified the free trade agreement (FTA) with Türkiye on Tuesday.
The deal was signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Ukraine in February 2022. It completed Türkiye’s ratification process in 2024.
Zelenskyy said talks with Fidan, among others, also focused on the implementation of the trade pact.
“We expect trade between our countries to keep growing,” he wrote.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stressed that a new draft bill on juvenile crime primarily aims to prevent children from being dragged into a life of crime.
Göktaş was speaking to broadcaster NTV on Thursday on the bill announced earlier this week by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The bill is one of the most comprehensive ones on children involved in crime, but its highlight has been the introduction of life sentences for convicts at the age of 15, though it would be at the discretion of the court.
Göktaş underlined that the proposed bill would strengthen the mechanism to protect children and prevent crime.
“Our goal is to identify, minimize and eliminate the risks children face before they are drawn into crime. For children who do enter the judicial process, we aim to establish an effective coordination mechanism from the very beginning, working in close cooperation with the judiciary and all relevant institutions,” she said.
She stated that all protective measures for children will be consolidated under a single framework. She explained that once a child becomes involved in the judicial process, the relevant institutions will be notified simultaneously so that protective measures can be implemented without delay. She added that, under the ministry’s coordination, all relevant institutions will be integrated into the process. At the local level, commissions established within provincial governorates will monitor child protection measures on a case-by-case basis.
As Türkiye still waits for the next stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative for the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group, two key actors of the process met on Thursday.
Government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who informally launched the initiative two years ago, met a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has intricate links to the terrorist group.
DEM Party lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol visited Bahçeli at his office in the Turkish Parliament. The trio is also part of a delegation that regularly visits the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, on the island prison near Istanbul where he is incarcerated. The initiative moved forward with the DEM Party relaying Öcalan’s message to the PKK in which he called for the dissolution of the terrorist group.
Neither Bahçeli nor the DEM Party delegation, who met before as part of the initiative, commented on their meeting, which lasted for about 40 minutes. The delegation has held talks with ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) officials on Wednesday.
Media outlets reported that the talks focused on a “framework law,” which is expected to follow the confirmation of the PKK’s full disarmament. The law will cover a reduction in prison terms for a limited group of PKK members and regulations to facilitate the process. Öcalan and other PKK figures already sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment will be exempt from any leniency, according to the media reports.
Turkish authorities detained six suspects Thursday in a second wave of an investigation into alleged bribery and extortion at Istanbul’s Beykoz Municipality, prosecutors said.
The Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for eight suspects as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery and extortion linked to the tenure of former Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, who was previously suspended from office.
According to prosecutors, the latest operation was launched based on evidence collected during the investigation, statements from complainants and testimony provided by suspects under Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions.
The suspects include businesspeople, a Beykoz municipal council member and former municipal employees who are alleged to have participated in the offenses under investigation.
Six suspects were detained during coordinated police raids, while efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining two suspects are ongoing.
The investigation remains underway.
Earlier this month, former Beykoz Mayor Köseler was arrested as part of the investigation into alleged bribery, extortion and zoning-related corruption. Prosecutors said the case was supported by witness testimony and statements given under Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions.
Dozens of mayors and municipal bureaucrats from Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) were detained or arrested in the past two years in investigations focusing on corruption. The majority of allegations involve bribery in return for construction permits, which are otherwise subject to strict regulations, and rigging the lucrative tenders of municipalities.
While the CHP is facing internal chaos and a leadership crisis between the former head, Özgür Özel, and CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has seen a stream of new transfers in the past two years.
Since the 2024 elections, 15 mayors have left their parties and joined the AK Party. Most of them were formerly members of the CHP.
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