“Türkiye is becoming a hub of peace diplomacy”

 

Speaking after the Presidential Cabinet Meeting, President Erdoğan said: “Türkiye is becoming a hub of peace diplomacy. Russian and Ukrainian delegations came together in our country as a result of our efforts. Following the first meeting held after a three-year hiatus that resulted in the exchange of 1,000 prisoners, the second meeting took place today.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.

“RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN DELEGATIONS CAME TOGETHER UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MR. FIDAN TODAY IN ISTANBUL”

“As you know, Russian and Ukrainian delegations came together under the leadership of Mr. Fidan today in Istanbul. It was a wonderful meeting. Even though the number of prisoners exchanged in the previous meeting stood at 1,000, this time the number of prisoners to be exchanged has exceeded 1,000, with bodies to be exchanged as well. These are impressive figures. These figures, given by both Russia and Ukraine, are already being announced to the world by our Foreign Minister and the media. This is a testament to the importance of the Istanbul talks. We are proud of this. Türkiye has become a turning point in this issue with the Istanbul talks. My greatest wish is to bring Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy together in Istanbul or Ankara. I would even would like to bring Mr. Trump along. If they accept, I will also join them and so that we will make Istanbul a center of peace. We will take steps in this regard following this meeting,” President Erdoğan said.

“WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES’ DECISION TO LIFT THE SANCTIONS ON SYRIA”

“On May 21, we travelled to Budapest to attend the Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at the invitation of Mr. Orban. Upon our proposal, it has been agreed that March 21 will be marked from now on as OTS Nowruz Commemoration and Celebration Day. I hope this decision will be auspicious for the Turkic world,” President Erdoğan stated.

Reminding Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Türkiye on May 24, President Erdoğan said: “Following the December 8 revolution, we are witnessing Syria’s rapid recovery with the support of the brotherly countries in the region, particularly Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We are very pleased with the European countries’ decision to lift the sanctions on Syria following Mr. Trump’s landmark statements. As their neighbors, as their brothers and sisters, we will continue to support the people and the government of Syria with all our means and resources.”

Stating that Syria Airlines will start flights to Türkiye and Türkiye’s AJet to Syria soon, President Erdoğan went on: “Besides these, we will stand by the Syrian people in other areas as well. As Syria achieves peace and stability, we believe that all countries in the region will benefit from this. I wholeheartedly congratulate the Syrian government since it patiently endeavors for Syria’s unity and integrity despite all obstructions.”

“PAKISTAN’S SENSIBLE STANCE PREVENTED THE CONFLICT FROM ESCALATING INTO CATASTROPHE”

President Erdoğan continued: “On May 25, we hosted the Prime Minister of another brotherly country in Türkiye. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit was meaningful in many respects. The sensible stance the Pakistani government displayed in the recent tensions with India prevented the conflict from escalating into a catastrophe. We always called for dialogue, calm, and the resolution of problems through negotiations.”

Pointing to his visit to Karabakh’s city of Lachin on May 28 to celebrate Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, President Erdoğan said: “Following a 30-year occupation, an all-out mobilization of development and reconstruction is now underway all across Karabakh with the efforts of my brother Ilham Aliyev, the victorious leader. With roads, bridges, tunnels, residential areas, and agricultural zones, Karabakh is rapidly healing the wounds inflicted by the occupation. As Türkiye, we provide every kind of support to these efforts.”

“WE DON’T WANT TO SEE CONFLICTS OR WARS IN OUR REGION”

President Erdoğan added: “Türkiye is becoming a hub of peace diplomacy. Russian and Ukrainian delegations came together in our country as a result of our efforts. Following the first meeting held after a three-year hiatus that resulted in the exchange of 1,000 prisoners, the second meeting took place today. The fact that the meeting took place despite yesterday’s incident is an important success. Türkiye has taken a clear stance since the beginning of the war. We don’t want to see conflicts, wars or oppressions in our region. We believe that peace has no losers. We are working sincerely for the establishment of a sustainable peace that is acceptable to both sides.”