Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday evening that President Erdogan’s remarks came during a phone call with his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, as conveyed by a statement from the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate. The statement confirmed that the Turkish and Finnish presidents discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues. Erdogan mentioned that his country is striving to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Finland and aims to further strengthen bilateral relations. The Turkish president added that Finland’s recognition of the State of Palestine would be welcomed, emphasizing that Turkey is closely monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and that lasting peace in the region is possible.
In the same context, Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated President Alexander Stubb on the occasion of Finland’s Independence Day, which falls on December 6.
It is noteworthy that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated last Friday that Turkey is once again ready to host negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, and that the current momentum of negotiations must be maintained. The Turkish Foreign Minister added at a press conference held in Berlin: “As we know, a new negotiation process has started in Geneva, and a plan has been set in advance. This negotiation momentum must be maintained. As for us, we are ready to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine again in Istanbul, and there will be no loser in the peace process.”
The U.S. administration previously announced that it has developed a settlement plan, indicating that it will not discuss its details at this time, as work is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that Russia remains open to negotiations and committed to the Anchorage talks. During a meeting of the Russian Security Council on November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the “American plan” could form the basis for a final peaceful settlement, though this document is not currently being discussed substantively with Russia.
