Erdoğan says Russia-Ukraine peace talks could resume in Türkiye

ANKARA

Türkiye has been on the side of peace since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, adding that the country will play a major role in ending it.

“As crises and wars continue to increase in our immediate neighborhood, we have stepped up our peace diplomacy efforts,” Erdoğan told reporters on July 28 following a cabinet meeting.

“Regarding the war, we adopted a pro-peace policy,” the president added. “We did not fall into the trap the opposition tried to lure us into.”

An exchange of prisoners of war was agreed on during the third round of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials on July 23 in Istanbul, Erdoğan recalled.

“We believe that the war must end now,” he said. “Just as the negotiating table was set up in Istanbul, the peace table will be set up in Türkiye and this bloody war will end.”

Meanwhile, Erdoğan called on opposition parties to support the government’s ongoing “terror-free Türkiye” initiative after PKK began disarming.

“Türkiye’s struggle to break free from the shackles of terrorism should not be sacrificed to various calculations. Many things happen in politics, but there is no excuse for watering down the process on this issue,” he said.

Erdoğan described the disarmament as an “invaluable opportunity” for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to join what he called a historic moment.

“Our nation also expects the main opposition to position itself on the right side of history,” he said. “The terror-free Türkiye process will be an important reference for this. We reiterate our call for cooperation.”

The president said optimism was growing in Türkiye’s Kurdish-majority east. “As the process progresses, the question marks in our minds disappear,” Erdoğan said. “We attach importance to ensuring that the process continues transparently and with the broadest possible participation.”

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union. It announced a ceasefire and its decision to lay down arms in response to Öcalan’s appeal from İmralı prison island. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has acted as a mediator in the process, updating political circles on the developments.

Access to Öcalan was facilitated following a rare move by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who called on the PKK leader in parliament to renounce terrorism — a call Erdoğan later endorsed.