Next year we should celebrate anniversary of peace, not war - Erdogan
Photo: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye's President (Getty Images)
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye's President, in his speech during the Support Ukraine plenary session, stated that the shared responsibility of Ukraine's partners is to celebrate the anniversary of peace next year, not the anniversary of full-scale war.
As Erdoğan noted, from the very beginning, Türkiye has opposed the full-scale war and continues to assist in diplomacy and negotiations. He specifically called for support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.
"On the fourth year of this war, we clearly understand that the desire for diplomacy and the negotiation process increases with each passing day... Our shared responsibility is to ensure that next year we celebrate the anniversary of peace, not war. Türkiye will continue to make every effort to establish a fair and lasting peace. Therefore, I sincerely hope that 2025 will be the year in which peace will be built," he added.
The president also recalled the recent visit of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Ankara. According to him, during that visit, the parties discussed Türkiye's contribution and its readiness to host negotiations.
Türkiye-Ukraine relations
Türkiye played an active role in negotiations regarding the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. In particular, Ankara facilitated the return of the defenders of Azovstal.
More details on how Türkiye's role in mediation between Ukraine and Russia has evolved were shared by Ukraine's Ambassador to Türkiye, Vasyl Bodnar, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
