Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he opposes NATO’s direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict, reported by TRT World Now. “NATO must never become a party to the conflict in Ukraine. I openly expressed this stance here” at the summit, he said at a news conference. Instead he said Türkiye supports diplomacy. “From the very start of the conflict in Ukraine, we have been paying a diplomatic effort to end it. We favor the resumption of the Istanbul process. We have always said that when a fair peace deal is signed, there are no losers,” he said.
Erdogan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a closed-door meeting that Türkiye continues its efforts to end the conflict and is ready for any initiative, including mediation, to lay the groundwork for peace, reported Hürriyet Daily News. For his part Zelenskyy said he had a “productive meeting” with Erdoğan and appreciated his “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.