Former Minister Says Turkey Must Be More Active In Organizing Putin-Zelenskyy Meeting

ISTANBUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th March, 2023) Turkey must be more active in organizing a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since peace talks are crucially important, former Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Cetin served as foreign minister between 1991 and 1994, and, from 1997-1999, he was the speaker of parliament.

"To achieve a truce, dialogue cannot be interrupted, it must be permanent. Turkey can also be more active in this regard in order to organize a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy," the diplomat said on the sidelines of the 26th Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul, adding that the Russian and Ukrainian sides must engage in talks in order to "achieve a ceasefire."

The former official also said that a truce was urgently needed, and there would be no winners in this conflict, hence it must be ended, because people were dying due to the supply of weapons.

"Turkey has every chance (to arrange a meeting) since (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan is the only president who is in contact with both (Putin and Zelenskyy).

Ankara has previously tried to bring Putin and Zelenskyy together, but failed. I believe that Turkey needs to be more active in this matter," Cetin said.

In March 2022, shortly after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Turkey provided a platform for negotiations between the sides in Istanbul, which led to some weakening of hostilities but failed to result in a ceasefire. In July, Turkey together with the UN acted as a mediator in negotiating the Black Sea grain deal, which provides for a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizers out of Ukrainian ports.

In October, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine could not hold any talks as long as Vladimir Putin remains president of Russia and signed a relevant decree. Russian senior officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their readiness to start peace negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict.