Türkiye welcomes Ukraine’s cease-fire acceptance, offers to host talks: Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday welcomed Ukraine’s acceptance of a ceasefire in its ongoing conflict with Russia, expressing hope that Moscow would respond “constructively.”

Erdogan reiterated Türkiye’s consistent stance on the war, stating during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Ankara, “From the beginning, Türkiye has advocated for a just peace to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s readiness to support the peace process, including hosting potential negotiations, saying, “If recent developments pave the way for Russia and Ukraine to return to the negotiating table, Türkiye is prepared to offer its full support.”

He added, “This region has endured enough conflict and war. We desire peace and are determined to work towards that goal.”

EU must embrace Türkiye’s inclusion

Erdogan also called for Türkiye’s full membership in the European Union, asserting that if the EU hopes to prevent or “reverse its decline in strength and influence,” it must embrace Türkiye’s inclusion in the bloc.

Türkiye to take initiative in Ukraine peace talks

Discussing Turkish-Polish relations, Erdogan highlighted the importance of the two nations as strategic NATO allies. He noted that Türkiye and Poland are positioned on NATO’s eastern and southern flanks and command the two largest ground armies in Europe within the alliance.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed that Türkiye take an active role in initiating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Tusk said both Türkiye and Poland have been advocating for peace since the start of the conflict, welcoming the diplomatic efforts held in Saudi Arabia earlier in the week.

Following their high-level discussions, Erdogan reiterated the significance of the Turkish-Polish partnership in both regional and global security matters.