Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine not to "close the door" on dialogue, expressing hope for the resumption of talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul on Monday.
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Speaking to reporters upon his return from a visit to Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Erdogan said, according to the Turkish presidency: "We are in contact with Russia and Ukraine... We tell them that the door should not be closed as long as it remains open."
He added, "In every meeting, we remind our interlocutors not to miss this opportunity," considering that "putting out this large fire in our region is a humanitarian duty."
On Wednesday, Ukraine expressed readiness to hold new talks in Turkey on Monday following direct negotiations held on May 16 between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul. However, Ukraine requested that Moscow, which initiated the talks, present its conditions in advance to ensure the meeting yields results.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, traveled to Ukraine on Thursday, where he is scheduled to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Turkey, a NATO member, has managed to maintain good relations with both Ukraine and Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Turkey supplied drones to Kyiv while refraining from joining Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.
