Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation to discuss bilateral relations, Russia's war against Ukraine, and the mounting tension between Washington and Tehran. According to RBC-Ukraine, the Turkish Presidential Office announced this. Following the conversation, Ankara confirmed that it will continue to facilitate peace efforts to resolve the conflict.
Turkey Promises to Continue Peace Efforts
Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope that the intensification of diplomatic efforts to end the war will yield positive results. The Turkish leader assured that his country will continue to participate in this work, emphasizing the importance of strengthening engagement with both Ukraine and Russia. Thus, Ankara reaffirmed its role as a dialogue platform, which it previously offered by providing a venue for direct contacts between the parties.
Iran and Black Sea Security
A separate topic of the conversation was the standoff between Iran and the US. Erdogan stressed that it must come to an end, and disputes should be resolved exclusively through diplomatic means. Against this background, regarding Black Sea security, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Atlanta that Ankara, along with India, had put forward ideas on Black Sea security. According to him, this primarily concerns the resumption of grain cargo movement, which Washington estimates is crucial for global food and partial energy security.
Ahead of Trilateral Talks in Abu Dhabi
Erdogan and Trump's conversation took place on the eve of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv has already announced the composition of its delegation. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the main topic for the Ukrainian side during these consultations will be security guarantees. This makes the previous telephone contact between the two leaders part of a broader diplomatic preparation for the meeting.
Context: Trump's Statements and Conversation with Putin
The telephone contact with Erdogan fits into a series of recent diplomatic signals. Earlier, on October 21, Donald Trump told reporters that the end of the war in Ukraine "may be closer than ever." In addition, on October 7, Erdogan, in a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, congratulated him on his birthday, called for a return to the negotiating table, and noted the need to step up diplomatic efforts for a fair and lasting end to the war. Taken together, these steps indicate that Turkey and the US are synchronizing their positions ahead of key November negotiation events.
