Türkiye, Russia to hold political consultations in Istanbul

Political consultations between Türkiye and Russia will be held in Istanbul on Thursday and Friday to discuss regional issues, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.

Delegations headed by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and his Russian counterpart Sergey Vershinin will address the Black Sea grain export deal, as well as regional issues such as Syria, Libya and Palestine, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Early Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced the forthcoming meeting, saying engagement between the two countries carries on, and the exchange of views continues not only on Ukraine but also on other regional issues.

Türkiye has been internationally praised for its unique ability to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, which led to the resumption of the July 22 grain deal. Ankara has repeatedly called on Kyiv and Moscow to end the war that started in February through negotiations.