President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Wednesday that Turkey is still in negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine to settle their prolonged conflict, which will soon approach its tenth month.
Erdogan said at a trilateral summit between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan that “we witnessed, along with the grain agreement and exchange of prisoners, that the way to peace can be paved if diplomacy is given an opportunity” and cited agreements that were mediated by Turkey between the two sides.
“We continue to have this conversation with Presidents (Vladimir) Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Hopefully, a cease-fire will be reached initially, followed by enduring peace in our area.
“A just peace can only be built via discussion, I have spoken as President of Türkiye from the very beginning. We have worked sincerely to stop the carnage and put an end to the conflicts since the very first day, both bilaterally and on other levels “said he.
Turkey, which is lauded internationally for playing a unique mediating role between Ukraine and Russia, has consistently urged Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate an end to the conflict.
“On the basis of our strategic advantages, I firmly think that our relations, which are already boosted by our fraternal bonds, will continue to improve. Our objective is to assess emerging opportunities in light of local, regional, and global dynamics in consideration of the stability of our community and the welfare of our citizens.” Erdugan said.
Erdogan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and Prime Minister Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan met on Wednesday in Awaza, a city in western Turkmenistan, to talk about ways to strengthen ties between the three nations in a variety of fields, including trade, energy, and transportation.
The Turkish president added that the group must get to work moving Turkmen natural gas to Western markets.
“In the area of Caspian friendship, we are prepared to work with our Turkmen and Azerbaijani brothers. Additionally, we value the expansion of bilateral electricity commerce among our regional nations.
Erdogan stated, “In this regard, we are prepared to work on electricity transmission from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to our nation.
Erdogan added that the Organization of Turkic States would be strengthened by having full membership from Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has been a member of the group as an observer since 2021.