President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the issue of war with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Following these talks, the Turkish leader said that the parties were"not yet ready" for a bilateral meeting, it is reported. Reuters and Milliyet .

Erdogan noted that during talks with Putin in China and a phone call with Zelensky, he discussed ways to end the war in Ukraine, but the parties"are not yet ready" for a meeting of leaders.

The Turkish leader said talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul in recent months had shown that the path to peace remained open. Turkey has advocated a"gradual increase in the level of negotiations" to turn hopes for peace into concrete results, adding that any initiative must ultimately be considered at the leadership level, although the conditions are not yet in place.

What preceded

As UNIAN reported, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, September 1, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China. They discussed, among other things, the war in Ukraine.

Erdogan told Putin that Ankara is working to find a just and lasting end to the war in Ukraine and that the talks between the parties in Istanbul are contributing to peace efforts.