In a press conference yesterday (March 12) in Ankara, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk announced that Turkey should play a major role in the peace process in Ukraine.
Polish PM: Turkey should play major role in Ukraine peace process
The press conference took place following a meeting between Tusk and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday.
“I have given President Erdogan a clear proposal for Turkey to take on the greatest possible co-responsibility for the peace process, guaranteeing stability and security in our entire region,” said the Polish leader following the meeting.
In his statement, Erdoğan expressed support for the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and expressed hope that Russia would ‘reciprocate’.
Despite amicable relations with Ankara, Moscow expressed on numerous occasions that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine would be a non-starter in negotiations. NATO member Turkey possesses the second-largest military in the transatlantic alliance.
Turkey’s balancing act
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Turkey responded cautiously, expressing support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity but refusing to impose economic sanctions against Moscow like many of its NATO partners. In the three years since, Turkey has pursued a role of mediator, maintaining cordial ties with both Kiev and Moscow.
An agreement brokered by Ankara allowing for the safe passage of grain exports from Ukraine across the Black Sea was in effect from July 2022-July 2023.
Last month, President Erdoğan held separate meetings in Ankara with both Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Following the meetings, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed that Ankara was ready to host talks between the two sides. Fidan had also criticized Ukraine’s exclusion from US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
Medyascope'un günlük e-bülteni
Andaç'a abone olun
Editörlerimizin derlediği öngörüler, analizler, Türkiye’yi ve dünyayı şekillendiren haberler, Medyascope’un e-bülteni Andaç‘la her gün mail kutunuzda.
