President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Ukraine saw Turkey as a partner in security guarantees for his country, and added that Kyiv was ready to ratify a free trade agreement between the states.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan listens during a joint press conference in Ankara, Turkey, February 18, 2025. Reuters/Cagla Gurdogan
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Ukraine saw Turkey as a partner in security guarantees for his country, and added that Kyiv was ready to ratify a free trade agreement between the states.
NATO member Turkey has balanced ties with Kyiv and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has maintained good ties with both, supporting Ukraine militarily and backing its territorial integrity, while refusing to join sanctions on Russia.
As Europe scrambles to bolster its own defence and security, while seeking guarantees for Kyiv under any possible ceasefire deal with Moscow urged by Washington, Turkey has emerged as a key potential security partner.
On Thursday, Zelenskiy met Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli in Kyiv, and discussed bilateral ties, cooperation in drone production, and Turkish firms' involvement in Ukraine's reconstruction.
"It is important that Turkish businesses are already present in Ukraine. Our country appreciates this, as well as Türkiye's support and assistance, particularly the supply of Bayraktar drones," Zelenskiy said on X.
"Ukraine considers Türkiye one of its strategic partners, as well as a partner in terms of security guarantees, and is ready to ratify the Free Trade Agreement with Türkiye during President (Tayyip) Erdogan's upcoming visit," he added, without specifying when he would visit.
Bolat and Yumakli also attended the first meeting of a task force between Turkey and Ukraine for the reconstruction of the country after the war.
Bolat said on X the meeting was attended by more than 20 companies in Turkey's contracting and technical consultancy sectors as well as Ukrainian state and private sector representatives involved in the country’s reconstruction.
He said Turkish contractors were ready to share their experience and knowledge for future projects.
By Bruno Finel
The Turkish prosecutor has ordered the detention of 36 people, including the mayor of an Ankara district held by the main opposition, as part of an investigation into alleged bribery and tender rigging, the Ankara chief prosecutor's office said on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had ordered the military to be prepared to launch strikes against Iran if the Iranian government carried out or attempted an assassination of the president.
The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei have been a mystery to Iranians and the rest of the world alike since his appointment as supreme leader a week after the strike that killed his father at the end of February.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.