The Turkish president will continue his diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war, the safe evacuation of civilians from the region, and the establishment of peace with meetings on Thursday and the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which ends on Sunday.
Continuing his determined diplomatic push in the international arena since the first days of the tension between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday at a working dinner to continue his efforts.
At the dinner in the Cankaya Mansion in the capital Ankara, steps that can be taken to end the war as well as regional effects will be discussed.
Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden will also speak on the phone at 1530GMT, in a conversation expected to focus on the Russia-Ukraine War.
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The Turkish president will attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the Turkish resort city of the same name on Friday with a focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Erdogan's contacts will continue with a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who will visit Istanbul on Sunday, and German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, who will pay an official visit to Ankara on Monday.
Talks with Zelenskyy, Putin
After Russian began its war on Ukraine Feb. 24, Erdogan chaired a security summit with a number of Cabinet ministers and key staffers at the Presidential Complex.
Then Erdogan had a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with follow-ups on Feb. 26 and March 4. Erdogan said they were pushing for a cease-fire r to prevent further loss of life and prevent further damage to Ukraine.
Erdogan also spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 6. During the call, Erdogan told Putin that Turkiye is ready to help solve the Ukraine issue by peaceful means as soon as possible.
He also underlined that an urgent general cease-fire would not only alleviate humanitarian concerns in the region, but also open up space for a political solution.
Contacts with other leaders
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdogan also held phone calls with a host of other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel.
In addition, Erdogan exchanged views on the war with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and Israeli President Isaac Herzog when they paid separate visits to the capital Ankara./aa
