Türkiye 'ideal actor' to facilitate Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Foreign minister
'As a major regional country, we’ve not only tried to stop the war from the very beginning but have also closely followed all of its dimensions,' says Hakan Fidan

ANKARA/ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday, en route to Kyiv, told reporters that Türkiye is an "ideal actor" for the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the three-year-long war, stressing the importance of finding a venue to hold the talks.
"Given the current circumstances, the parties need a place where they can come face-to-face and sit around a table to negotiate. In this regard, Türkiye is actually an ideal actor," Fidan said.
Noting that any diplomatic success stems from the parties being willing to talk and producing outcomes as a result, Fidan highlighted the exchange of 1,000 prisoners as a significant step in this direction.
“Following that, the fact that both parties, for the first time, formally put their ceasefire positions in writing and conveyed them to each other to continue negotiations — that was also an important step," he added.
Fidan urged the sides to formally declare and present their negotiation positions, citing the exchange of 1000 military prisoners on each side following the Istanbul peace negotiations.
Türkiye’s peace efforts conveyed to Russia
Fidan said that during his visit to Russia, the Turkish side had once again underscored Ankara’s efforts towards ending Moscow’s war with Kyiv.
“As a major regional country, we’ve not only tried to stop the war from the very beginning but have also closely followed all of its dimensions. We shared our views on what realistic parameters could make a ceasefire possible," he added.
“Currently, both sides have made certain public statements. Most recently, Dmitry Peskov (Kremlin spokesman) made a statement on behalf of the Kremlin. They said they are expecting a response to the proposal they declared for June 2," he added.
The Turkish foreign minister said he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials.
“Just as we did in Russia, we will again discuss Türkiye’s position, our views, and the urgent need for a ceasefire. We have our own observations, and we will receive feedback from them as well. As I said, once the negotiation process starts, we see the situation begin to take a more optimistic shape.
“Both sides, in principle, want a ceasefire — no one would openly say they don’t. That would be hard to justify before the global public. It's not something that lifts you morally. But on the other hand, both sides have different ceasefire demands. These demands need to be reconciled — that’s what negotiation and mediation are for. And as those demands are reconciled, the parties will need to face each other to some extent," he added.
Russia's acceptance of US' mediating role 'important development'
Calling Russia's acceptance of the US' mediating role in the peace negotiations with Ukraine an "important development," Fidan said Moscow's acceptance of Türkiye's hosting and advice is also significant.
Expressing Ankara's readiness to play any role in the peace talks, in which it is already serving as a mediator, the Turkish foreign minister underlined that the most important aspect of mediation is acceptance by both parties, which is why the US role is important.
"As a country, we have some very different perspectives—ones that perhaps only a few countries possess. I believe that if we bring these to the table, more concrete steps toward a ceasefire can be taken,” Fidan said, underlining the importance of intense effort to reach the peace following a ceasefire.
Referring to US President Donald Trump’s early statement on desiring an immediate ceasefire, the Turkish foreign minister noted that the Ukrainian and European sides are showing flexibility in aligning with Washington's position, touching upon the Russian side's reluctance on the issue.
He urged political dynamics to be taken into account.
"At this point, the Ukrainian and European sides have shown flexibility in aligning with the American position. They accepted it quite suddenly. But now that Russia has not shown the same level of flexibility, it could end up in a more disadvantageous position in the eyes of both the US and the international community that supports a ceasefire," he added.
"I believe the views and different perspectives that parties like us convey to them play an important role,” noting that Ankara is doing everything it can in this regard.
"This can’t be achieved through the efforts of just one mediator. But if key actors with different capabilities and perspectives who want the same outcome are involved, that becomes an important criterion for success," he said.
Emphasizing that no diplomatic effort can match even one day of the cost, labor, and consequences of such a large-scale war, he urged all responsible countries to take steps and "shoulder the burden," adding that the effort that has been made "still is not enough."
"Our president has been doing exactly that from the beginning," he added.
Touching upon Türkiye's involvement in many conflict zones, he said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become "an experienced and trusted leader in conflict resolution, developing institutional memory in the process."
Emphasizing Türkiye's ability to convey lessons learned from other conflict zones to warring nations, Fidan reiterated that Ankara has no strategic aim other than peace.
"Türkiye plays a stabilizing role in Syria, Iraq, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Caucasus. It is a strong country with strong leadership in the region. It's important that we use this power responsibly and in service of the region," he said.
The minister said it may not be appropriate at this stage for parties to publicly share their positions; nonetheless, these positions can be modified.
He added that both sides’ demands and objectives are unclear, as Ukrainians and Europeans want a 30-day ceasefire to begin immediately, with no conditions or objections.
On the other side, he said, Russia believes that Kyiv could gain from a 30-day ceasefire, and that is why Moscow has certain conditions.
He emphasized the importance of understanding why a ceasefire is being pursued, pointing out that once a party says, "I have conditions," those conditions become negotiable.
Everyone remains in constant contact and coordination
Fidan noted that Russia has goals such as the annexation of certain territories and territorial ambitions, which are controversial in terms of international law and global public opinion.
“Frankly, I don’t think this will be linked to any legal process," he added.
Referring to the sanctions imposed on Russia, he said until recently, Ukraine and the Europeans were hesitant to consider a ceasefire, but with Donald Trump becoming president and calling for a ceasefire and peace, the situation has shifted.
Fidan pointed out that it could be too costly for Putin not to align with this shift.
“Each country must calculate the balance between its goals and the costs it is willing to bear. Our role is limited to conveying our views," he added.
He highlighted that they are in contact with all actors and shared that he discussed his meetings with Russian officials in Moscow with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Following his visit to Ukraine, Fidan said he may speak by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing that everyone is in constant contact and coordination.