The statement added that during the call, President Erdoğan stressed Türkiye's continued efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. He also affirmed Türkiye's support for the ongoing talks between the two countries' delegations, which began in Istanbul.
Erdogan expressed satisfaction with the swift implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement reached during those talks, and indicated that discussing the possibility of a ceasefire during the second round of talks, scheduled to be held in Istanbul, could pave the way toward peace.
The Turkish president added that the participation of both sides with strong delegations would contribute to maintaining the positive momentum of the peace process. He emphasized that holding direct meetings at the leader level would be a useful step toward strengthening peace efforts, emphasizing the importance of not delaying this step.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his support for his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity in a post on his X account regarding the phone call he had with Erdoğan earlier Friday.
Zelensky described the call as "very good and comprehensive," thanking the Turkish president for Turkey's principled position in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He noted that he and Erdogan discussed the negotiations held in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia on May 16.
The Ukrainian president said the prisoner exchange deal was important but represented the "only achievement" of the negotiations. He also stressed the "necessity of a ceasefire" to move toward peace and the need to stop the killing.
Zelensky explained that the call with Erdogan also addressed the possibility of holding a new round of negotiations in Istanbul and his country's conditions for participating in them. He continued, "We share the view that these negotiations cannot and should not be wasted. We also discussed the possibility of holding a potential quadrilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United States."
The contact between the two sides coincides with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's visit to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Andriy Szepiha, and Chief of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak.
Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was ready to hold a second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul next Monday.
On May 15 and 16, Istanbul hosted peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which concluded with an agreement to exchange 2,000 prisoners between the two countries.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a military offensive against its neighbor Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv abandon its membership in Western military entities as a condition for ending the offensive. Kyiv considers this to be "interference" in its affairs.
