President Erdoğan said, "We are ready to re-establish the negotiation table that we previously established in Istanbul for peacebuilding."
In a video message he sent to the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that he regretted not being present at the summit due to their preparations for the Election of Local Administrations.
Voicing that it gave him immense pleasure to address the participants, albeit via video message, President Erdoğan made the following remarks:
"As you are all aware, Türkiye supports Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. Additionally, we are doing everything possible to protect the rights and interests of our Crimean Tatar kin. We are also ready to contribute to the rapid recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. Despite entering the third year of the war and all of our efforts, there has not been enough progress towards establishing peace.I maintain my view that, in order to bring about a fair and long-lasting peace, diplomacy and dialogue should be given a chance. Utilising all available diplomatic channels at the highest level is crucial for achieving this goal. I believe that a joint effort should be initiated to establish at least the general parameters of peace. In this regard, we support, in principle, the ten-point Peace Plan of President Zelensky of Ukraine."
President Erdoğan recalled that they took on a leadership role in the efforts to be carried out under the food security point of the Plan.
Underscoring his belief that both sides must be brought together for peace initiatives to succeed, President Erdoğan noted:
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was established with our efforts and played a critical role during its implementation, remains on our agenda.There is a need for an arrangement to ensure the safety of navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea. In this context, in cooperation with the United Nations, we are maintaining our contacts for a new arrangement in the Black Sea that will include security commitments. Additionally, we are ready to re-establish the negotiation table that we previously established in Istanbul for peacebuilding. On this occasion, I express my wish that the spirit of solidarity that sprung to life in our shared geography, the Balkans, with the South-East European Cooperation Process will also extend to our neighbouring regions."
President Erdoğan cordially congratulated all those who have contributed to the organization of the summit, particularly Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania, the host of the summit.