President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will make a working visit to Turkey on October 31, where he will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Among the main topics of the meeting will be the Russian-Ukrainian war and security in the Black Sea.
This was announced on October 30 by the head of the communications department of the Turkish presidential administration, Burhanettin Duran, as reported by Hürriyet.
According to Duran, Zelensky will arrive in Turkey at the invitation of Erdogan. The meeting between the two presidents is scheduled in Istanbul.
During the negotiations, the parties will consider opportunities for further development of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey. Special attention is planned to be given to regional and international events, primarily the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine and the security situation in the Black Sea.
The Turkish side has not yet presented a detailed program of negotiations and has not announced any specific agreements that may be signed following the meeting.
Turkey continues to maintain diplomatic contacts with both Kyiv and Moscow, advocating for a political settlement of the war. Ankara has also repeatedly declared its readiness to facilitate the organization of negotiations aimed at cessation of hostilities.
In September, Zelensky and Erdogan met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. At that time, the presidents discussed Black Sea security, restoration of Ukrainian food exports, and prospects for cooperation in the defense industry, including a possible agreement on drone technologies.
The current visit takes place against the backdrop of preparations for a new round of trilateral consultations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Earlier, Zelensky said that a meeting of negotiating delegations could take place on November 6–10 in Abu Dhabi, but the final date has not yet been agreed upon.
Among the issues that Kyiv intends to discuss within the trilateral negotiating process are the cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, safety of shipping in the Black Sea, exchange of prisoners of war, and preparation of a possible meeting of state leaders.
At the same time, the Turkish side has not announced any connection between the upcoming visit of Zelensky and the negotiations in Abu Dhabi or any plans to hold a meeting in Istanbul with the participation of Russian representatives.
Based on materials from: Turkish presidential administration, Hürriyet, Ukrinform, Office of the President of Ukraine.
