Türkiye believes that continuing the process conducted through the Istanbul talks on the Russia-Ukraine war would be highly beneficial, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.
“I believe it would be very beneficial for Türkiye-mediated Istanbul talks on the Russia-Ukraine war to continue under the same framework,” Fidan said at a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Fidan said Türkiye is exploring new strategic approaches to break the current deadlock in the conflict, and that new ideas are being discussed with the parties and mediators.
Fidan stressed the importance of continuing such meetings without interruption, saying: "The fact that the war is continuing does not mean negotiations in this format cannot continue."
He said that after the Istanbul talks, US negotiators became involved in an effort to determine what could be done to achieve a more final and tangible outcome.
"Unfortunately, as of today, the war is still ongoing and the risk of escalation is increasing," he added.
Türkiye hosted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, first in the initial weeks of the ongoing war and later in mid-2025.
Fidan said the risk of the conflict spreading, which Türkiye has warned about since the beginning of the war, remains a serious threat.
He noted tensions have continued to escalate in various ways and that developments threatening the security of the Black Sea have further heightened these concerns.
“We do not want the war to be carried into the Black Sea,” he said. “The targeting of ports, tankers and fishing boats in Black Sea and putting civilians' lives at risk cannot be justified.”
Speaking about the importance of navigation in the Black Sea, Fidan said: "Freedom of navigation and commercial security in the Black Sea are of vital importance. I discussed this with the Russian side during my visit to Moscow and also with my esteemed counterpart here. I will raise the issue again in the meetings I will hold throughout the day today. This is an important issue for us and for all Black Sea countries."
Fidan recalled that the UN had proposed that, while the war continues elsewhere, the parties remain committed to guarantees on energy security and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to safeguard global grain security.
Fidan stressed that Türkiye's primary objective is to end the war, adding: "If that is not possible, then in several critical areas important for Ukraine, Russia and all countries, a war moratorium could be declared and those targets could be spared.”
"What are they? Black Sea security and energy security. Our alternative proposals on these issues remain on the table for the parties' consideration. The Ukrainian side shares a serious common understanding with us on this matter," he said.
Fidan said one of the key pillars of any potential peace agreement would be security guarantees for Ukraine, covering land, sea and air components.
Regarding Türkiye's role, Fidan said: “Türkiye has agreed to lead the maritime component, and we have a common understanding on this with our allies. Planning efforts on this issue are also being carried out by the naval forces of the relevant allied countries.”
Fidan said that he has visited the region at regular intervals since the beginning of the war and it is especially distressing to see the very worst scenarios that were anticipated becoming a reality.
Fidan said everything that could be done in the war has now been done and that after all available means have been exhausted, the parties have reached a point where they are psychologically ready for a ceasefire.
"As the saying goes, the darkest moment of the night is just before dawn. We hope that the destructive stage the war has now reached will prove to be the precursor of a nearby peace and ceasefire," he said.
Fidan said that during his meetings in Moscow, he was told at the highest level that both sides are ready for negotiations and neither has ruled out meeting under the mediation of either Türkiye or the US, adding that this is highly significant for the negotiation process.
"Of course, there are issues here that are unacceptable for Ukraine. The question is how this general framework can evolve under the current conditions and what it can become. That is precisely what negotiators should be working on at the moment. I observed on both sides that not only Russia and Ukraine, but the international community as a whole urgently needs a ceasefire and a peace agreement. We will continue to do everything we can to make that possible."
Fidan said bilateral relations with Ukraine continue to deepen, adding that Turkish companies have maintained their operations in the country despite the ongoing war.
Fidan welcomed the Ukrainian parliament's approval of the Free Trade Agreement signed between Türkiye and Ukraine in 2022, a day before his visit, and said he was pleased that the agreement is now set to enter into force. He also thanked his counterpart for his efforts.
Fidan said the agreement would take the already dynamic trade cooperation between the two countries to a much higher level and elevate Türkiye-Ukraine economic relations to a strategic level in the post-war period.
Fidan expressed confidence that the bilateral trade volume, which reached $6.6 billion in 2025 despite wartime conditions, will increase substantially after the war, supported by the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement.
He also underscored the importance of advancing cooperation in the fields of energy and transportation, saying Türkiye believes the most reliable and effective way to contribute to Ukraine's energy security and the supply of goods is through Türkiye's advanced infrastructure.
According to diplomatic sources, Fidan also visited Independence Square in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to commemorate the Ukrainians who lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fidan later met with Mustafa Kirimoglu, the national leader of the Crimean Tatars and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, and Refat Chubarov, chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People in Kyiv.
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