TURKEY PERSPECTIVE

Ankara is following the Trump-Putin call from the unique position of a country that has maintained open channels with both parties since conflict onset. Daily Sabah reports that Trump and Putin discussed tensions in Iran AND the Ukrainian ceasefire in the same call — a bringing together of both issues that Turkey had anticipated in its own mediation efforts.

Turkey had facilitated the 2022 Black Sea grain deal negotiations. Erdoğan has consistently positioned himself as potential mediator, maintaining economic relations with Russia (circumventing certain sanctions) while remaining NATO member and supplier of Bayraktar drones to Ukraine. If the Trump-Putin call yields a ceasefire, it potentially opens space for more formal Turkish mediation.

For Ankara, the May 9 ceasefire would be an opportunity to reposition itself as central diplomatic actor — a role Turkey actively seeks in a multipolar world where its geographic position and relationships across blocs represent real comparative advantage.