Türkiye to host Black Sea security summit on April 15–16 in Ankara

Türkiye will host a high-level meeting on Black Sea security on Tuesday (April 15) and Wednesday (April 16) in Ankara, bringing together military representatives from several foreign countries to discuss potential security arrangements following a possible cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.

The two-day meeting, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at Naval Forces Headquarters in the capital, will focus on naval military planning aimed at preserving stability in the Black Sea, the ministry said in a statement.

Russia will not attend the talks, confirms ministry

While the ministry did not disclose which countries would participate, it confirmed that Russian officials would not be among the attending delegations.

Türkiye continues its diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Ankara has repeatedly called on both Kyiv and Moscow to pursue peace through negotiations and has expressed readiness to support any initiative, including mediation, to help establish a lasting cease-fire.

In March 2022, Türkiye hosted the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya.

That diplomatic push eventually led to the Black Sea grain deal, brokered later in 2022, which allowed Ukrainian agricultural exports to pass through the region safely.

Moscow withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.