Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hailed Turkish-Russian ties during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday in Moscow. He said their relations played a key role in the stability of the region in “changing times.” “We desire to deepen our ties with Russia in a way that will not be affected by geopolitical challenges,” he said.
Answering a question on the Istanbul talks between Russia and Ukraine earlier this month, Fidan said Ankara wanted to host another round. The first round of talks on May 16, which was closely watched by the world, failed to convince the sides to find a lasting solution to their conflict, but ensured a massive exchange of prisoners, which was completed over the weekend. "We hope Russia-Ukraine talks rapidly evolve into a cease-fire and a permanent peace," Fidan said.
For his part, Lavrov said Istanbul could host the second round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv to find a settlement for the ongoing war. "As for the second round of negotiations, if you ask me, I would again turn to our Turkish friends. Istanbul is very good," Lavrov said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Turkish minister, who was received by President Vladimir Putin on Monday, met Vladimir Medinsky, Putin's adviser, who led the Russian delegation in the Istanbul talks.
Fidan noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged that Türkiye is ready to provide all necessary support and host future talks. He added that Türkiye also emphasizes the importance of safe navigation in the Black Sea and will maintain dialogue with Russia on this issue. Answering reporters’ questions, Fidan said they raised key concerns with Putin and stressed the importance of concluding the Russia-Ukraine negotiations. He noted that talks on a second prisoner exchange are underway.
The minister also spoke about the situation in Syria in the era after the fall of Bashar Assad, a close ally of Moscow. He said that Türkiye and Russia will continue efforts to preserve Syria’s unity and territorial integrity while working simultaneously to improve the welfare and stability of the Syrian people. He highlighted progress in Syria over the past five months in establishing political and economic stability and security. Despite ongoing “disinformation campaigns” against the Syrian government, Fidan noted, it retains broad support from its people and the international community. He also said the government’s capacity to combat terrorism and organized crime continues to improve.
Türkiye supports efforts to unify all military factions in Syria under a national army and centralized command, Fidan added. He emphasized the importance of all parties using their influence to implement the March 10 agreement signed between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Ferhad Abdi Şahin, ringleader of the terrorist group PKK's Syria wing, YPG, which is backed by the United States.
Fidan praised recent U.S. and European Union decisions to lift sanctions on Syria as “extremely important.” He said Türkiye, under the leadership of President Erdoğan, has engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to facilitate the sanctions’ removal and welcomed positive outcomes so far.
During their talks, Fidan and Lavrov also addressed other regional crises, including the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza and Palestine. Fidan called for an immediate end to what he described as a “genocide and human tragedy,” warning that failure to halt the violence risks unleashing widespread chaos involving Israel. “This much bloodshed, tears and suffering cannot be in vain,” he said, pledging to continue working with Russia on the issue.
Fidan described the Turkish-Russian relationship as underpinned by “leader diplomacy,” allowing for faster, more substantive steps and decisions. “Both President Putin and President Erdoğan are resilient leaders who have faced significant global challenges,” he said.
He underscored strong economic links between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, energy and tourism. Efforts are underway to maintain Russia’s natural gas supplies to Türkiye and to expedite the commissioning of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The minister touched on other topics, including stability efforts in Africa and support for peace initiatives in the South Caucasus, praising Azerbaijan’s leadership in normalizing the region.
Regarding natural gas, Fidan confirmed ongoing talks between Türkiye's pipeline operator BOTAŞ and Russia’s Gazprom and said Russia has pledged support. On a question about the risk of attacks on the TurkStream natural gas pipeline infrastructure, Fidan said Türkiye remains in contact with both Russian and Ukrainian counterparts and stressed that the pipeline has not been damaged. “We coordinate with Ukraine on these matters to ensure no infrastructure serving our interests is targeted during the conflict,” he said.
