President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeated his warning that the Black Sea should not become a battlefield in the war between Russia and Ukraine, after a Turkish commercial vessel was hit at a Ukrainian port.
Erdoğan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international forum on Dec. 12 amid intensified efforts to find a way to put an end to the nearly four-year-old war in Eurasia.
Speaking to reporters on his return, Erdoğan detailed the content of his exchange with Putin and summarized how Türkiye sees the recent escalation in the Black Sea.
“Mr. Putin and I discussed regional issues, the war in Ukraine, and our bilateral connections. We noted that we view positively the dialogue initiated through Mr. [U.S. President Donald] Trump’s efforts, and we discussed the contributions our country can make to peace efforts,” he said.
Erdoğan-Putin’s conversation has seemingly focused on Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s recent engagement with warring sides, aiming to generate a draft plan acceptable to both sides.
"As you know, U.S. President Donald Trump is actively involved in the issue. In addition to Trump’s engagement, we are also encouraging the United States. Our Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan remains in constant contact with his counterparts in the United States,” he said.
Fidan had his most recent conversation with Witkoff late on Dec. 13 following the Erdoğan-Putin meeting.
Peace not far away
“Following this meeting with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to discuss the peace plan with U.S. President Trump as well. We see that peace is not far away. All we need to do is turn our direction toward where peace lies,” Erdoğan stressed.
Türkiye has long been proposing to both sides that it is ready to host and facilitate any sort of meeting at the leaders’ level should they decide to start a substantial effort to end the war. Istanbul hosted three rounds of direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in 2025.
Another important aspect regarding the continued war is the risk that it can spread to the Black Sea and restrict maritime mobility.
After Ukraine hit two commercial vessels bound to Russia in the past weeks, Russia targeted a Turkish vessel in a Ukrainian port on Dec. 12. Türkiye condemned the attack and asked the parties to halt their strikes on the commercial vessels.
“The Black Sea should not be viewed as an arena of confrontation. Such a situation would only harm both Russia and Ukraine and bring no benefit. Everyone needs freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Black Sea. And this must be ensured,” Erdoğan stated.
In the meantime, Erdoğan also informed that he repeated his invitation to Putin to pay a visit to Türkiye.
“I assured him that I would always be available to greet him. We discussed how important it is to get together as soon as possible for this. He also said, 'I will keep my promise.' I hope we can arrange this visit as soon as possible,” the president added.
