He added that the parties "are not yet ready" for a meeting at the level of leaders.

Erdogan, speaking to journalists on the plane on his way back from China, said that the talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul in recent months showed that the path to peace remains open, reports Reuters.

"Turkey is committed to gradually raising the level of negotiations to turn hopes for peace into concrete results," Erdogan said, adding that any initiative would ultimately have to be resolved at the leadership level, although the conditions have not yet been met.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Turkey has kept channels open with both Moscow and Kiev and has tried to mediate between them.