On 12 March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss Turkey’s role in ensuring peace and security in Europe. Their talks focused on the war in Ukraine, allied cooperation, and bilateral relations amid Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Turkey’s President noted that “with the strength we derive from our deep-rooted history with Poland spanning over six centuries, we have openly addressed every issue concerning our region as two allies and strategic partners.”
Tusk proposed that Turkey assume greater joint responsibility for the peace process, emphasising the strong ties between Poland and Turkey in defence and economic matters. He reiterated Poland’s clear stance on the Ukraine conflict, advocating for a swift ceasefire and a just peace.
Erdogan highlighted that Turkey and Poland, as key NATO allies with the largest land armies in Europe, play a crucial role in regional security. He expressed a shared commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and emphasised the importance of Turkey’s ongoing pursuit of EU membership, urging Poland to support these efforts.
The discussions also touched on Turkey’s readiness to facilitate peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and the positive implications of the recent Ukrainian-American negotiations regarding a ceasefire. Erdogan called for a collaborative approach to achieve lasting peace in the region.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral economic and trade relations.
“We are determined to advance further our trade volume and mutual investments, which reached approximately 12 billion dollars in 2024. We have determined 15 billion dollars as the new trade volume target,” highlighted President Erdogan.
