24.02.2025 12:20
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting Ankara on the anniversary of the Ukraine War. In a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Fidan, Lavrov stated, "It is very important that Ukraine does not join NATO. This would be a mistake; if a definitive result is achieved, the war will stop." Fidan, on the other hand, expressed, "We are ready to provide all kinds of support to establish peace through negotiations."
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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministers spoke at a press conference they held after the meeting.
"WE ARE READY TO HOST"
Highlights from Hakan Fidan's speech are as follows;
"We desire both of our neighbors to live in peace, tranquility, and prosperity. We want the destruction caused by the war to come to an end as soon as possible. This war is negatively affecting various geographies, especially the global south. We hope that this multidimensional crisis will be resolved permanently. As Turkey, we have supported finding a solution to the war through diplomacy since day one. Shortly after the conflicts began, we brought the parties together for the first time around the Peace Table in Istanbul. We successfully implemented the Black Sea Grain Initiative. We then continued our diplomatic efforts to bring the parties to peace.
As the war enters its fourth year today, there is an initiative launched by the US aimed at ending the war through negotiations. This aligns with the policy we have pursued since the beginning of the war. We attach great importance to the US's new initiative as a results-oriented approach. We believe that a solution can be reached through negotiations in which both parties participate. In this context, we are ready to provide all kinds of support to establish peace through negotiations. We are also ready to host the talks as we did before. Additionally, we will continue our efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea.
If implemented, this step will be an important confidence-building measure. Our ultimate goal is to establish lasting peace between our two neighbors.
SYRIA
What has happened in Syria in the last three months is promising. The Syrian people have put an end to 60 years of oppressive regime. Now, they want to establish a stable and prosperous country that lives in peace with its neighbors. As Turkey, we will stand by the Syrian people in this process as well. We firmly believe that Syria's territorial integrity and unity must be preserved. We share similar views on preventing separatist movements in Syria.
There is no tolerance for the nesting of terrorist organizations in Syria. We expect everyone to respect Turkey's security concerns."
LAVROV: IT IS IMPORTANT THAT UKRAINE DOES NOT JOIN NATO
Lavrov stated the following in his remarks;
"Despite international tensions, Turkey and Russia are in contact in every field. President Erdoğan and Russian President Putin are in constant communication.
We held hours of negotiations with Mr. Fidan. Our last meeting was within the framework of the G20 meetings. We discussed our cooperation in the energy and finance sectors, as well as in transportation and tourism.
We also held discussions regarding the nuclear power plant in Akkuyu. We are working to bring these reactors online as quickly as possible. Work continues 24 hours a day. We discussed the security of pipelines like the Turkish Stream.
Different views emerged during the meetings in Riyadh. We will continue our discussions with our American partners. I provided information about the discussions between Russia and the US. One of the primary reasons for the start of this war is the attempt to bring Ukraine into NATO. It is very important that Ukraine does not join NATO.
The Nazi regime adopted some laws in 2019. This foresaw the banning of the Russian language. It prohibited the use of Russian in the media and in cultural matters. They tried to eliminate a century of Russian presence. As a result of this Nazi coup, Crimea made its own decision. The citizens there did not want to live under the Ukrainian regime."
QUESTION AND ANSWER
Turkey's mediation efforts and Zelensky's statements
Lavrov: We have not changed our position. (Zelensky) His ideas change frequently, and the ideas of European countries also change frequently. The position and view of the US is consistent. Military operations can cease when a satisfactory result emerges from the negotiations. If we talk about security guarantees, it was written how this would happen; Ukraine itself had formulated it, but the West prohibited it.
Hakan Fidan: We see that Turkey is doing its best. We are closely following the security guarantees that have been brought up in recent discussions. We are currently closely monitoring the talks. Turkey is ready to play any role as a facilitator and accelerator. Our goal is to end this war as soon as possible.
ERDOĞAN ALSO RELEASED A VIDEO MESSAGE DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE
Meanwhile, President Erdoğan sent a video message to the 4th Crimea Platform Leaders Summit on the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. Erdoğan stated that Turkey stands by the Ukrainian people.
President Erdoğan said, "I express my condolences to the Ukrainians who lost their lives while defending their lands over the past year and wish their families peace. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Turkey has provided the necessary support for Ukraine's just cause in line with the fundamental principles of international law," he said.
As the war enters its fourth year, President Erdoğan reiterated the importance of negotiations to end the war. Erdoğan stated, "Just as we declared Turkey's opposition to the war three years ago when the conflicts began, we are determined to make every effort to end the war through negotiations today. While doing this, we continue to maintain our strong support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. As the war enters its fourth year, we see that approaches based on diplomacy, dialogue, and negotiations are gaining momentum," he said.
"WE WILL WORK WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH TO ESTABLISH LASTING PEACE"
Expressing hope that this process will be the beginning of ending the conflicts and establishing lasting peace, President Erdoğan said:
"As we have advocated from the very beginning, the path to a just and lasting peace can only be opened with a framework in which both sides of the war are equally and fairly represented."
Recalling that they discussed the contributions Turkey could provide at this important crossroads and its willingness to host negotiations with Ukrainian President Zelensky last week in Ankara, Erdoğan said, "I want to express this with all my sincerity. Next year, we all have important responsibilities to commemorate not the war, but the year of peace. As Turkey, we will continue to work with all our strength to establish a just and lasting peace. With these thoughts, we hope that 2025 will be a year in which peace will be built. I pray that the holy month of Ramadan, which we will soon reach, brings peace, tranquility, and well-being to all humanity," he concluded.
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