Türkiye's Fidan, Kalin meet Ukraine's Umerov in Ankara
Türkiye, which maintains working relations with both Moscow and Kiev, has positioned itself as a key mediator since the conflict began.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief Ibrahim Kalin held talks with Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, marking the first diplomatic engagement of the new year.
According to a statement shared by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting with Fİdan took place in Ankara on Thursday.
No details were disclosed, but the talks came at a moment of growing international optimism that renewed diplomatic momentum could help bring the nearly four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war closer to an end.
Türkiye, which maintains working relations with both Moscow and Kiev, has positioned itself as a key mediator since the conflict began, pushing for ceasefire efforts, prisoner exchanges, and negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Meeting with Ibrahim Kalin
Umerov’s meeting with Kalin focused on assessments of the current security situation in Ukraine, as well as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and its regional and global implications, according to security sources.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed possible steps toward achieving peace, the latest developments in negotiation processes, and potential initiatives that could be taken into consideration in the regional environment.
The talks also addressed the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia, as well as ongoing and potential prisoner exchange efforts between the parties.
Kalin and Umerov agreed to continue systematic cooperation between Türkiye and Ukraine within the framework of existing cooperation mechanisms.
A diplomatic marathon for Fidan in 2025
The meeting with Umerov follows an intensive year of diplomacy for Fidan.
According to Foreign Ministry figures, he held 241 meetings with counterparts from 89 countries in 2025, underscoring Ankara’s active foreign policy footprint.
A video shared by the ministry highlighted that Fidan conducted 73 overseas visits to 50 countries last year, including 22 trips alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He also hosted 22 multilateral meetings and participated in 31 international gatherings, 10 of them with Erdogan in attendance.
In addition, Türkiye welcomed foreign ministers from 96 countries through bilateral visits and multilateral events, reflecting Ankara’s broad diplomatic outreach amid a shifting global landscape.