ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday expressed Ankara's support for the US-led peace negotiations to end the three-year Russia-Ukraine war.
"As Türkiye, we will continue to provide all kinds of support for both a ceasefire and comprehensive peace negotiations,” Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Hungarian counterpart in the capital Ankara.
"We support the ceasefire talks led by the US," Fidan said.
Stating that there has been a great deal of death and destruction in the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said that Ankara’s position on stopping the war aligns with that of Hungary, particularly on international platforms such as NATO.
The new US administration advancing this agenda is “a positive development” for the region and for humanity, said Fidan, expressing hope for a lasting ceasefire as soon as possible.
He also noted that there are agreements on a few issues that they consider could pave the way for a ceasefire.
"I hope that Russia will also announce as soon as possible that it accepts a temporary ceasefire, even if for 30 days. Then, we can swiftly move on to further negotiations,” Fidan said.
Noting that Türkiye and Hungary are two countries that feel the effects of the war in Ukraine closely, he underlined that both countries have consistently supported dialogue and diplomacy for resolving the conflict, welcomed the steps taken towards a ceasefire by the parties, and believed that this process should be supported.
"Our hope is to establish a complete and comprehensive ceasefire and to start a process towards lasting peace,” he added.
Syrian situation
“It is necessary to be cautious against provocations that aim to undermine peace and stability efforts in Syria,” he further said.
He underlined that after the national dialogue conference in Syria, a constitutional declaration was issued, which rejected separatist movements and emphasized Syria's territorial integrity and unity.
Noting that the declaration also guarantees equal citizenship rights for everyone, Fidan said: "We expect the political transition process to continue with steps towards the formation of the government and the people's assembly.”
He urged the new administration in Syria to reach the capacity to ensure peace and stability in the country.
“For this, the support and engagement of the international community is crucial. In this regard, I hope for the complete removal of sanctions,” he further said.
"Discussions on a structure that will be established, security guarantees, and a peace-monitoring force are ongoing," said Fidan.
European security
On European security, Fidan said: "We believe that planning all steps regarding Europe's security together with Türkiye is essential for our common interest."
Türkiye with its capabilities and resources, can make “significant contributions” to Europe’s security, stability, and prosperity, he added.
"At this point, we now expect the EU to calibrate its strategic compass,” he added.
"We believe that Türkiye-EU relations should not be confined to the narrow interests of some members,” he further said.
Türkiye-Hungary Year of Science and Innovation
Expressing determination to take steps to further strengthen strategic partnership between the two nations in the future, Fidan announced that Türkiye will host the 7th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
"We have declared 2025 as the Türkiye-Hungary Year of Science and Innovation,” Fidan added.
Stating that commercial relations were highly productive last year, Fidan said that the trade volume between the two countries reached $4.5 billion, bringing them one step closer to the $6 billion target set by the leaders of both countries.
"Our cooperation in the defense industry is steadily developing and deepening. Our companies have now started joint production. We believe that soon we will see our joint defense products in third countries. Our cooperation in the energy sector also has a special and strategic nature,” he added.
Fidan stated that the cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), of which Hungary is an observer member, has been progressing at a very good level.
He further said that the informal summit of the OTS will be held in Budapest this year and that they attach great importance to this meeting.
"Hungary took over the EU Council presidency in the second half of last year. During this period, they made a significant effort to revitalize Türkiye-EU relations," Fidan said.
Israel’s attacks on Gaza
Emphasizing the need for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and the implementation of subsequent stages, Fidan said that Israel broke the ceasefire agreement by blocking the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In recent days, Israel has resumed genocide by killing hundreds of Palestinians. "There is no peace, stability, international law, or humanitarian values on Netanyahu's agenda. Israel's aim is to intimidate the Palestinian people and to evacuate Palestine,” he added.
Warning that the Palestinian issue risks leading to larger regional and global problems, Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Palestinians.
“On the other hand, we will continue to pursue justice against the crimes committed by Israel,” he said.
