Turkey's President Erdogan endorses discussions between Trump and Putin in Alaska, expresses Turkey's willingness to back peace efforts
Turkey Acts as a Key Mediator in Ukraine Conflict
Turkey is playing a significant role as a mediator in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Leveraging its unique position as a NATO member with good communication channels and friendly relations with both parties, Turkey is facilitating dialogue and peace efforts.
Key aspects of Turkey's mediator role include:
- Facilitating Talks: Turkey hosted the third round of direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations on July 23, 2025, where agreements on prisoner exchanges and other steps were reached to advance the peace process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed readiness to continue facilitating talks and even to arrange meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.
- Maintaining Neutrality: Despite being a NATO member, Turkey has maintained a delicate balance by not fully isolating Moscow with sanctions and simultaneously taking measures such as closing its straits to certain Russian vessels. This allows Turkey to be viewed favorably by both conflicting parties, which is essential for its mediator role.
- Promoting Peace Initiatives: Turkey seeks to contribute actively to peace, as reflected in its National Security Council statements committing to support the peace process. Its successful role in brokering the 2022 grain agreement is cited as evidence of its potential as a neutral mediator.
- Geopolitical Constraints: However, there are limits and challenges. From the Western/NATO perspective, Turkey’s credibility as a key broker is questioned due to its perceived inconsistent policies, parallel channels with Moscow, and occasional objections within NATO frameworks. This creates a strategic dilemma for Turkey, as it risks marginalization unless it clarifies its alignment within the alliance.
- US Role and Pressure: The US has exerted pressure for cease-fire agreements, yet these talks have not produced major breakthroughs so far. The US sanctions are criticized by Turkey as not conducive to ending the conflict. While Turkey mediates between Ukraine and Russia, the US remains a central diplomatic actor and is less willing to delegate critical negotiations fully to Ankara.
Recent Developments
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, announced on Saturday that he will travel to Washington on Monday to meet with Donald Trump. This meeting will mark their first face-to-face encounter since a tense exchange earlier this year.
During a phone call with Zelenskiy on Tuesday, Erdoğan reiterated that Turkey is ready to host a leaders' summit, with Putin also expected to attend, to accelerate the peace process. Putin welcomed Trump's approach and voiced hope that the understanding reached at the summit would pave the way for peace in Ukraine.
Since mid-May this year, Turkey has organized and hosted three meetings between negotiating groups from Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul. Most recently, on July 22, both sides agreed on a framework aimed at expanding prisoner exchanges.
In a significant development, senior European officials briefed on the call confirmed that Trump told European leaders following the Alaska summit that he supports a plan to end the conflict by transferring Ukrainian-held territory to Russian control, rather than pursuing a cease-fire. According to Trump, any agreement in Ukraine would depend on President Zelenskiy.
As the peace talks continue, Turkey's role as a mediator remains crucial. Erdoğan expressed hope that discussions between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskiy will lay the foundation for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
- Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed his readiness to host a leaders' summit, inviting both President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the aim of advancing the peace process in Istanbul, Turkiye.
- Despite tensions with Turkey over its neutral mediator role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, US President Donald Trump announced his readiness to support a plan to end the conflict by transferring Ukrainian-held territory to Russian control, during a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- As the war-and-conflicts-related developments continue, Turkey's position as a key mediator in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is imperative, given its past successes in facilitating talks and promoting peace initiatives, as demonstrated by the recent agreement on a framework for expanding prisoner exchanges in Istanbul.
