Kiev working to organize Turkish president’s visit: Ukrainian envoy

ANKARA

Authorities in Kiev are working to organize a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the war-torn country, Ukraine’s ambassador to Türkiye has said.

In an interview with the RBC-Ukraine news agency, Ukrainian Ambassador to Türkiye Nariman Dzhelyalov said that Kiev is actively working on organizing such a visit.

If held, the visit would be Erdoğan’s first since the start of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

The Turkish president last went to Ukraine amid a working visit to the eastern city of Lviv in August 2022.

“[Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky personally extended the invitation and I reiterated it during my meeting with the Turkish president,” Dzhelyalov said, referring to his meeting with Erdoğan early last month, when he presented his letter of credence.

Expressing that the visit requires significant effort as there are “many issues hindering its realization," Dzhelyalov further said that the ratification of the free trade agreement between the two countries could become the central focus of the visit itself.

“This agreement is important for a significant portion of our business, though it may raise concerns for some due to increased competition. However, this is a political decision. President Zelensky proposed that the agreement be ratified during Erdoğan’s visit, which would be a strong and symbolic gesture," he expressed.

Turkish authorities have not yet commented on Dzhelyalov’s remarks.

Last year in August, Ankara ratified the Feb. 3, 2022, free trade agreement it signed with Kiev.

Türkiye has played a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine, hosting peace negotiations during the early months of the conflict and later hosting renewed talks between the two warring sides in Istanbul on May 16, June 2, and July 23, respectively. An exchange of prisoners of war was agreed on during the third round of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials on July 23.

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