Turkey to continue supporting Ukraine settlement talks — Erdogan

ISTANBUL, April 4. /TASS/. Turkey will continue to support the negotiation process on settling the situation in Ukraine and attaches great importance to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Istanbul at a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky. "The leaders discussed bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine, the search for ways to achieve peace in the war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as regional and global developments. President Erdogan stated that Turkey will continue to support negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as our region needs more peace and stability. He noted that Turkey attaches great importance to ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and considers ensuring energy security a priority," the Turkish president’s communications department said following the talks. Diplomatic sources told TASS that the talks held at the Dolmabahce presidential office on the Bosphorus lasted about two hours. After the talks with Erdogan, Zelensky went to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at his residence in the Balat district. Zelensky arrived in Istanbul on Saturday after a telephone conversation between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The Russian leader expressed gratitude to his Turkish counterpart for his continued readiness to facilitate the relevant negotiation process. Last year, three rounds of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations were held in Istanbul.