ANKARA — Turkey’s foreign minister told his Russian counterpart on Tuesday that Ankara expects steps in the Black Sea that threaten regional security and Turkish interests to be avoided, and reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to host renewed talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, said Ankara’s priority is to restart direct negotiations and push for a swift end to the war. He repeated Turkey’s offer to host future rounds of talks and to explore ways to make negotiations more result-oriented if both sides agree.
Fidan raised Ankara’s concern about recent incidents at sea after Kyiv and Moscow each accused the other of drone strikes on tankers off Türkiye’s northern coast, including a Turkish-owned vessel. He said he had urged Lavrov to prevent actions that could harm Türkiye’s interests and stressed the need to safeguard navigation and civilian infrastructure in the region.
Turkey has previously convened talks between Ukraine and Russia and has kept working ties with both capitals since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Kyiv formally requested Ankara in April to mediate a leaders’ level meeting. Turkey is also preparing to host a NATO summit in July.