ANKARA, November 7. /TASS/. Turkey is ready to organize peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if there is a corresponding political will on the part of these countries, a diplomatic source quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as saying.

"The war in Ukraine should end on the basis of international law. Its continuation has negative consequences both regionally and globally. Fidan said [to his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Aleinik] that Turkey will continue to do its best to establish peace and is ready to hold talks if there is a [relevant political] will between the parties," the source told TASS.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held talks in Sochi on September 5 to discuss the Ukrainian crisis. The Turkish leader reiterated afterward that his country was ready and would continue to play the role of mediator, including on issues such as the prisoner swap. According to Erdogan, Turkey is ready to contribute if the sides ask for it.

In March 2022, Moscow and Kiev held talks in Istanbul. At the time, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been no serious breakthroughs.