Volodymyr Zelensky Met with the President of Turkey and the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul

During the official trip of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to the Republic of Turkey, negotiations took place between the head of the Ukrainian state and the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This was reported on the website of the President of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election as President of the Republic of Turkey and expressed his gratitude to him personally, his team, and all Turkish citizens for their efforts to ensure peace and security for both peoples. During the meeting, the leaders of the two states extensively discussed the situation in the Black Sea region and Europe as a whole. According to the President of Ukraine, he and Recep Tayyip Erdogan share the same vision of the inadmissibility of imposing anything on Ukraine and Turkey in the Black Sea region that does not correspond to the interests of both nations.

"The Black Sea should be a space of security and cooperation, not war or any crises or so-called frozen conflicts that can flare up again at any moment and affect lives and people. I am grateful to Turkey for its unwavering support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," said Volodymyr Zelensky. 

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a joint briefing with President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that Ukraine deserves to be a member of NATO.

"Ukraine deserves membership in NATO. And in your presence, I want to emphasize one point: no one loses from the onset of a just peace," said the President of Turkey.

Volodymyr Zelensky also met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians, and participated in a memorial service for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Source: the Office of the President of Ukraine

"Thank you to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the spiritual support of Ukraine and Ukrainians, for prayers for peace for our entire land and all our people. Thank you for condemning aggression and crimes, and for comprehensive assistance to Ukrainians who suffered from the war," said Volodymyr Zelensky.

The memorial service was conducted in Ukrainian and Greek by Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne, Father Methodius, and Patriarchal Deacon Father Epiphanius. Patriarch Bartholomew led the memorial service.

During the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, the President of Ukraine also informed him about the situation on the front lines and the recent aggressor's crimes against Ukrainian civilians. Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the return of illegally deported children from Ukraine were discussed during the meeting. For his part, Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized the importance of achieving peace in Ukraine. 

"The Ecumenical Patriarchate, as the Mother Church of all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, always stands on their side," emphasized Bartholomew I. 

On his way to Istanbul, Volodymyr Zelensky also visited the demilitarized island of Zmiinyi in the Black Sea. 

"Today we are on Zmiinyi - our Zmiinyi, which will never be subjugated by the occupier, just like the whole of Ukraine, because we are a country of the brave. Today we honored our Ukrainian heroes here - all the soldiers who fought for this island, who liberated it. And although it is a small piece of land in the middle of our Black Sea, it is great proof that Ukraine will regain every piece of its territory. I want to thank - from this place of victory - every one of our soldiers for these 500 days," said Zelensky. 

While visiting Snake (Zmiinyi) Island, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence in Ukraine’s victory in the war against Russia