Türkiye plans to organize negotiations between Russia and four western countries to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, according to reports from Ankara and Moscow on Monday.
Ismail Emrah Karayel, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Türkiye and the European Union confirmed that Ankara is working to hold negotiations between Russia and the US, France, Britain and Germany, to help deescalate tensions.
“We assume that Istanbul can become the venue for negotiations, of course, if the parties agree,” RIA Novosti quoted Karayel as saying.
Turkish and Russian media outlets quoted Karayel as saying that Ankara accepts the conditions to be a mediator between the countries.
He cited Türkiye’s previous role in the signing of the Agreement on the Safe Passage of Grain in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in July. The deal was mediated by Ankara under the auspices of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, may meet in the Kazakh capital of Astana later this week.
However, he responded negatively when asked if Ankara passed to Russia any proposals on holding talks between Russia and the West, but he said it might be raised at the Erdogan-Putin meeting.
On Sunday, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet said Ankara requested that the US, France, Germany, and the UK to hold negotiations with Russia.
It said influential figures in Washington have already reacted positively to the plan.
Earlier, Ibrahim Kalin, adviser to the Turkish President, said that Putin wanted to reach a "new big agreement" with the West, and this explained Moscow's desire to enter negotiations.
