Turkish president congratulates Russia's Putin on his election victory

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During the conversation on Monday, he extended congratulations on Putin's recent election victory and reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to fostering positive relations between the two countries.

President Erdogan expressed his confidence that the favourable trajectory of Türkiye-Russia relations would continue to strengthen in the new period.

He also emphasised Türkiye's willingness to play a facilitator role in promoting dialogue and reconciliation efforts, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Türkiye's mediating role in Ukraine-Russia war

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kiev and Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations.

Turkish peace efforts were fruitful with some significant results, such as the landmark grain deal in July 2022, and exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow did not extend the deal after July 2023 citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.

Türkiye first hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.