Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ANKARA, May 11 (Xinhua) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday expressed the Turkish side’s readiness to host direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine after the Russian side proposed holding them in Istanbul.
According to a statement from R. T. Erdogan’s office, the corresponding statement was made during his separate telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron.
During the conversation with V. Putin, the head of Turkey touched upon issues of Turkish-Russian relations, as well as broader regional and global issues. He welcomed the Russian leader’s recent proposal to resume peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 and stated that “Türkiye is ready to accept talks aimed at achieving a long-term solution,” the chancellery specified.
R. T. Erdogan stressed that a window of opportunity has opened for achieving peace and noted that the establishment of a comprehensive ceasefire will create the necessary conditions for productive negotiations.
In a conversation with E. Macron, the Turkish president emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation on the issue of launching negotiations on permanent peace and supporting the process of restoring Ukraine.
Noting that a historic turning point has arrived on the path to ending the war between Ukraine and Russia and that this opportunity must be seized, R. T. Erdogan told E. Macron that Turkey is ready to make any contribution, including organizing negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace.
Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin earlier on Sunday, Putin proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. The Russian leader stressed that Russia is committed to serious talks with Ukraine that are designed to address the root causes of the ongoing conflict and to establish a long-term, lasting peace in the historical perspective.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a good sign that Russia had begun to think about ending the war, but, according to him, the very first step towards this should be the beginning of a full, long-term and reliable ceasefire from May 12.
In 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held direct talks in Istanbul but failed to reach an agreement to halt hostilities. –0–