Istanbul talks could open door to peace in Russia-Ukraine war, Turkish president tells Italian premier

Ankara is doing its utmost to help secure a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia, the Turkish president said on Sunday in a meeting with the Italian prime minister on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in South Africa.

Meeting with Giorgia Meloni, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said reviving the Istanbul peace talks could also open the door to peace, according to a statement from Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Türkiye first arranged peace talks in 2022, just weeks after the Ukraine war began. Later rounds led to the signing of the Black Sea grain deal that July. This year three rounds of renewed talks were held in Istanbul, resulting in prisoner exchanges.

Erdoğan stressed the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the region, saying that the formula for lasting peace lies in a two-state solution, and that Türkiye is making efforts in this regard.

During the meeting, he also underlined the importance of advancing cooperation between Türkiye and Italy with the Libyan government.

Erdoğan said that steps taken to advance cooperation between Ankara and Rome, particularly in the defense industry, would continue.

Italy's presidency said in a statement that the two leaders underscored the importance of close cooperation between Italy and Türkiye within NATO and held an in-depth exchange of views on major international crises, particularly the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The statement added that Meloni and Erdoğan "hoped to continue strengthening bilateral relations" in a "very positive context of continued economic growth, including in strategic sectors."