Hakan Fidan announces... US and Russia to meet in Turkey to discuss Ukraine

The US and Russia will meet in Istanbul on February 27 to discuss the re-establishment of their diplomatic missions as part of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced in a statement that US and Russian delegations would meet in Istanbul for peace talks. He stated that this meeting would take place within the framework of seeking solutions to the crisis in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that representatives from the two countries would hold negotiations in Istanbul on Thursday regarding the restoration of diplomatic relations. Lavrov recalled that Moscow's embassy operations in Washington have been suspended since the previous ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, left his post in October.

Fidan emphasized that the talks aim to take concrete steps toward reopening diplomatic channels.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also addressed the importance of the process. Rubio reported that, as part of the ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, high-level delegations from the two countries would work on reactivating their respective diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

TURKEY WANTED TO BE A MEDIATOR

Lavrov paid an official visit to Turkey on the anniversary of the war in Ukraine and met with Fidan in Ankara. The meeting covered regional security, developments in Ukraine, and economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the joint press conference held as part of Lavrov's visit, the course of the war and diplomatic solutions were discussed. Fidan stated that Turkey has supported diplomatic initiatives since the beginning of the conflict and that they are making efforts for stability in the region. At the same time, he emphasized Turkey's stance regarding terrorist elements in Syria.

Stating that Turkey welcomes the peace initiative launched by the US, Fidan noted that this process must progress in a results-oriented manner. He highlighted the negative effects of the war on a global scale and pointed out the need to ensure sustainable peace.

Expressing Turkey's determination to host peace negotiations, Fidan explained the role Turkey could play in this process as follows:

''We will continue to take steps that will contribute to the peace process. The issue of security guarantees is a priority for us. The presence of terrorist organizations in Syria cannot be overlooked. We expect Turkey's security concerns to be taken into account.''

News Source: 12punto