Zelenskyy says Ukraine 'greatly' values relations with Türkiye

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine "greatly" values its relations with Türkiye and the stance on the country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday.

"Ukraine greatly values its relations with Türkiye, the mutual understanding we share, and the support we receive in this extraordinary time of war. We are grateful for the warm welcome, hospitality and absolutely constructive approach in our negotiations," Zelenskyy, who also addressed a joint press conference with Erdogan, said on X.

He said he discussed with Erdogan the "global processes" that could contribute to ending Russia's war in Ukraine, including the importance of joint efforts to ensure security guarantees for Kyiv.

"We also talked about our bilateral relations, economic issues, cooperation between our societies in education, various projects, food security, and work on the return of our prisoners held by Russia," the Ukrainian president said.

"We are grateful to Türkiye for all the support to our country and people, for its principled stance on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state."

Ukraine and Türkiye signed two bilateral agreements on education and media cooperation.

Zelenskyy's visit came just shy of the third anniversary of the Ukraine war, which US President Donald Trump has vowed to end swiftly.

Russian and US delegations met in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday for the first high-level talks since the war started in February 2022. They agreed for more talks on ending the war and to improve bilateral ties.

Erdogan on Tuesday said Türkiye will be an ideal host for possible upcoming meetings between Russia, Ukraine and the US.