Erdogan supports Ukraine joining NATO

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with his counterpart of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Istanbul. After the face-to-face talks, Erdogan and Zelensky held meetings with their respective delegations to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, the grain deal across the Black Sea which will expire on 17 July and how to ensure peace and stability in the Black Sea region.

“Ukraine deserves NATO membership,” Erdogan said during the joint press conference with Zelensky. The announcement comes a few days before the summit of the Atlantic Alliance, scheduled in Vilnius on 11 and 12 July. As for the wheat deal, the Turkish president has called for an extension by Ukraine and Russia. The wheat agreement was reached last summer between the two sides with the mediation of Ankara and the United Nations and has so far allowed the transit of grains through the Black Sea.