Erdogan: Turkey will continue to support Ukraine talks

(Patria) - Turkey will continue to support the negotiation process to resolve the situation in Ukraine and attaches great importance to the security of navigation in the Black Sea, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul at a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, TASS reported.

„The leaders discussed bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine, finding ways to achieve peace in the war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as regional and global developments. President Erdogan stated that Turkey will continue to support negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as our region needs more peace and stability. He noted that Turkey attaches great importance to ensuring the security of navigation in the Black Sea and energy security as a priority,“ said the Turkish president after the talks, according to a statement from his office.

Diplomatic sources told TASS that the talks, held at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office on the Bosphorus, lasted about two hours. After talks with Erdogan, Zelenskyy went to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at his residence in the Balat district.

Zelenskyy arrived in Istanbul on Saturday after a phone call between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Putin expressed his gratitude to his Turkish counterpart for his continued readiness to facilitate the relevant negotiation process.

Three rounds of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations were held in Istanbul last year.