Tianjin (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan informed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday that Ankara is committed to finding a fair and lasting resolution to the Ukraine war. He also stated that the meetings between the parties in Istanbul are informing peace efforts, as noted in a statement from Turkey’s presidency.
Both leaders held a discussion on the sidelines of the SCO in China related to bilateral relations, peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and developments in Syria, Turkey’s presidency said in a statement.
Why does Putin consider Turkey crucial in Ukraine diplomacy?
Putin said he believes that Turkey will remain a key point in negotiations about an end to the war in Ukraine, having been hosted in Turkey a number of times now.
He also said that Moscow is “grateful to our friends in Turkey for taking a considerable step in the process, contributing to political and diplomatic actions to end the crisis with Ukraine.”
The Russian president also said that there had been three rounds of talks direct with Ukraine in Istanbul since May, and stated that this had accelerated a number of humanitarian issues.
Meanwhile, during the same session, Erdogan extended an invitation to Putin for a diplomatic visit to Turkey.
What was discussed in their last August phone call between the two leaders?
The last engagement between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a phone call on August 20, 2025. They spoke about the war in Ukraine, Turkey’s potential role in peace talks in Istanbul, Putin’s recent summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, and bilateral relations, including trade.
The phone conversation was part of an ongoing dialogue between the two leaders, but their August SCO summit meeting was their first face-to-face encounter in 2025.
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