Erdoğan says to hold talks with Putin over Ukraine war

JOHANNESBURG

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday that he will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the phone today as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

"Over the past four years, thousands of people have died on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. We are working to find a way to end the conflict and achieve peace," Erdoğan said at a press conference following the G20 summit in South Africa.

Erdoğan recalled his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week. “We will also talk with Putin tomorrow,” he added. “At tomorrow’s meeting, we will ask Mr. Putin about the grain corridor again.”

At the press conference in Johannesburg, Erdoğan lauded South Africa for "not turning its back" on the ongoing Gaza crisis.

"I respectfully salute South Africa for taking a courageous stand with the lawsuit they filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice," Erdoğan said.

He said Türkiye plans to build on this momentum and continue its support for Gaza.

“I find South Africa’s support for the Palestinian cause invaluable,” Erdoğan said. “While crimes against humanity were being committed in Gaza before the eyes of the entire world, our South African friends did not turn their backs on the brutality.”

Erdoğan emphasized that mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the conflict is a global responsibility and called for international support for aid and reconstruction in Gaza. “We will maintain our principled stance for our brothers in Gaza,” he said.

Ahead of the press conference, Erdoğan held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during which they discussed the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. According to Turkish presidential readouts, Erdoğan stressed that lasting peace requires a two-state solution.

Erdoğan also addressed the war in Ukraine, urging that all diplomatic resources be leveraged to achieve a just and lasting resolution.

During a session at the summit on Nov. 22, he cited a United Nations report saying Israel’s attacks have set back Palestinian development by at least 70 years.

“At this stage, it is essential to both accelerate humanitarian aid activities in Gaza and begin reconstruction activities without delay,” Erdoğan said. “The continuation of the ceasefire achieved in Gaza… is of utmost importance not only for the Palestinian people but also for the peace of the entire world.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Erdoğan held bilateral meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

He also met with leaders from Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia during a meeting of the informal MIKTA partnership platform.