Erdogan tells Merz that Turkey is working to revive Russia-Ukraine peace talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a conversation with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Ankara is continuing to work actively to resume negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and restart the diplomatic process in order to achммieve a lasting peace.

This was reported by the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate.

During the phone call, Erdogan stressed that Turkey intends to help end the war and restore dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv. According to Daily Sabah, the leaders also discussed bilateral relations and preparations for the NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara.

NATO Summit at the Centre of Discussions

Erdogan told Merz that Turkey hopes to use the upcoming summit to strengthen European defence within NATO while maintaining strong transatlantic ties.

The meeting, which is set to take place at the Beştepe Presidential Complex, will be the first NATO leaders’ summit hosted by Turkey since the 2004 Istanbul summit. Heads of state and government from alliance member states are expected to discuss key security issues, including Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Turkey Seeks to Bring the Sides Back to Dialogue

Since the start of the full-scale war, Turkey has maintained contacts with both Russia and Ukraine and has repeatedly offered to host negotiations.

In May 2025, Moscow and Kyiv resumed direct contacts in Istanbul, but the talks did not lead to any significant progress. Russia put forward conditions that the Ukrainian side considered unacceptable.

In the following months, Erdogan continued to promote a diplomatic settlement. In April, he told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Ankara was seeking to revive the negotiation process and facilitate dialogue at the highest level. The Ukrainian side also asked Turkey to help organise a possible meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.

The conversation between Erdogan and Merz took place amid increased diplomatic activity ahead of the Ankara summit. Russia’s war against Ukraine is expected to be one of the main topics discussed by NATO leaders.