Erdoğan plans talks with Trump and Putin this week for leaders meeting on Russia-Ukraine war

Speaking to media outlets following Friday prayers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made comments on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, saying, "This week, we will try to speak with Putin and Trump and see if we can bring them together in Istanbul."

Erdoğan said he may speak to his Russian and U.S. counterparts this week to see if a leaders' meeting in Istanbul is possible to discuss the war in Ukraine, after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met there this week.

"By holding calls with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (U.S. President Donald) Trump within this week, we will see if we can bring these leaders together in Istanbul, that is our effort," he told reporters.

On Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv held their third round of talks in Istanbul. The sides exchanged proposals for the future development of the peace process.

Speaking about the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul, Erdoğan said: "The progress achieved by IDEF in the defense industry holds a distinct place on the global stage."

"We have also started receiving substantial orders, and those orders are continuing at full pace," Erdoğan said.

"In the defense industry, you first need to establish yourself in a very unique position," Erdoğan said, adding: "If you fail to secure that position, you simply cannot sustain this struggle successfully on the world stage."

"When we took office, our defense industry had a potential of around $20 billion, but now it has reached a potential of around $80 billion, and hopefully, we will become even stronger," Erdoğan stressed.

The 17th edition of the six-day IDEF defense fair, which started Tuesday, is being held simultaneously at the Istanbul Fair Center, Ataturk Airport, WOW Hotel, and Atakoy Marina.

Organized by KFA Fairs with support from Türkiye's Defense Industries Secretariat and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, Anadolu serves as the event's global communication partner.