Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday hailed the second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks held in Istanbul earlier in the week as a “historic step” toward ending the war, which has now entered its fourth year. He also reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to supporting peace efforts in other conflict zones, including Gaza, Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.
At Monday’s meeting in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a humanitarian arrangement that includes the exchange of sick and severely wounded prisoners of war, detainees under the age of 25, and the return of the bodies of 12,000 fallen soldiers. Erdogan expressed hope that such progress could pave the way for a just and lasting peace between the two countries.
