In a recent address, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared, “A brand-new equation is being established in our region, with Türkiye at its center.” Indeed, over the past few days alone, the entire world has turned its attention to developments aimed at resolving global and regional crises — developments in which Türkiye plays a central role.
Just the other day, Erdoğan joined a video conference in Riyadh with U.S. President Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. During the meeting, Trump announced that, at Erdoğan’s request, the U.S. had decided to lift sanctions on Syria. Thanks to Türkiye’s efforts, Trump also held a direct meeting with al-Sharaa.
For the stability of the Middle East, Trump emphasized the need for regional countries to develop their own solutions. In particular, the efforts led by countries in the region — including Türkiye — to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza and secure a better future for Palestine may soon begin to yield positive results. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attempt to pressure Trump via his national security advisor appears to have backfired. Statements made by Trump during his visit to the Gulf region have caused alarm within the Israeli leadership, which stands accused of genocide.
Last week, Erdoğan spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. From the very beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, Türkiye has pursued active diplomacy to find a just resolution. As a trusted mediator, all parties have themselves requested that negotiations take place in Türkiye. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for talks to be held in Istanbul and stated: “I have a meeting with President Erdoğan. I will ask him to help create an opportunity for negotiations to take place in Türkiye.”
While Trump has said, “Putin wants me to be there — that’s a possibility,” in reference to the peace talks Türkiye would host between Russia and Ukraine, no meeting at the leadership level has taken place yet, as technical negotiations between the two sides have not reached the necessary stage. However, once sufficient progress is made, a face-to-face meeting between national leaders in Istanbul may become a real possibility.
As preparations continued in Istanbul for the Ukraine-Russia talks, NATO foreign ministers convened in Antalya. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the meeting, where he held detailed discussions with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on pressing issues, including the ongoing Ukraine-Russia negotiations.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan has continued his leader-level diplomacy regarding an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, holding phone calls with Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Last week, he was in Albania to attend the sixth summit of the European Political Community, where he also held bilateral meetings with European leaders.
Türkiye’s emergence as a hub of global diplomacy is directly tied to Erdoğan’s long-standing practice of leader-level diplomacy. His commitment to principled and proactive leadership has helped contribute to the resolution of both global and regional conflicts. By building strategic partnerships, keeping communication channels open among parties, and offering constructive input to peace efforts, he has played a vital role.
This approach has strengthened Türkiye’s position as a reliable international actor and laid the groundwork for its diplomatic initiatives to produce lasting outcomes.
