Türkiye calls for ‘immediate’ ceasefire in Ukraine
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Ukraine, saying there is an urgent need to end the conflict and mitigate its widespread impact. He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin, which was broadcast live on X by the Hurriyet news outlet on Thursday.
Fidan said that the conflict had resulted in devastating consequences, including the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and the destruction of an entire country.
“In Ukraine, we want a ceasefire, a peace immediately,” he stated.
The minister also emphasized more far-reaching effects, including migration and economic problems, as well as instability in Europe as a whole.
“The migration caused by this war, the economic crises, and other crises in Europe and the world – it needs to end as soon as possible,” he urged.
The minister stated that he discussed the conflict, as well as strategies to address its humanitarian and economic fallout, with his Belgian counterpart, who is currently on an official visit to Türkiye. Fidan said he and Quintin agreed it was important to continue diplomatic efforts to restore peace.
Fidan’s comments reflect Türkiye’s long-standing policy on the conflict. The country hosted the first unsuccessful peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, shortly fighting began. At the time, Moscow and Kiev agreed to a preliminary draft truce under which Ukraine would have renounced its NATO membership plans, declared neutrality, and limited the size of its armed forces in exchange for international security guarantees.
However, the talks eventually fell through. Veteran Swiss diplomat Jean-Daniel Ruch alleged last month that the “Americans and their British allies” intervened in the process to prevent Ukraine and Russia from sealing the deal in hopes of dealing a blow to Moscow.
Following the failed talks, Ankara has maintained communication channels with both countries and has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution. In his New Year’s address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that achieving an end to the Ukraine conflict is among Türkiye’s key priorities for 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to engage in dialogue with Kiev based on the draft agreement prepared during the talks in Türkiye. He noted, however, that any peace settlement with Kiev must begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of its former regions that chose to join Russia.
