President Volodymyr Zelensky honored Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan with the Order of Merit, 2nd degree, thanking him for his work toward peace efforts.
The two met on Thursday to discuss the current state of diplomacy, as well as future steps that could help accelerate efforts to reach peace and improve the situation on the battlefield, according to Zelensky’s statement.
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“We expect trade turnover between our countries will only continue to grow,” Zelensky said, adding that he is “grateful to Turkey and to the minister personally.”
Trade ties also on the agenda
Beyond diplomacy, Zelensky said the meeting covered bilateral relations and implementation of the free trade agreement between the two countries. Both sides expressed expectations that commercial ties would keep expanding as they continue to cooperate.
Turkey’s broader role in supporting Ukraine
The meeting came after Turkey deepened its involvement in supporting Ukraine’s defense earlier this month.
On July 7-8, NATO leaders gathered in Ankara, Turkey, for the alliance’s summit, where Zelensky held nearly 20 bilateral meetings pushing for additional air defense systems, interceptor missiles, production licenses, and new drone agreements.
Around the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Ankara would join NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a fund that helps partner nations finance US-made weapons for Ukraine.
“In addition to the military support we have provided to Ukraine from our own national inventory, we will continue our contributions within the framework of PURL,” Erdoğan said. Previously, Turkey had stayed out of the program, citing its role as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv.
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Five remaining NATO members – France, Italy, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia – have yet to contribute to PURL, according to the Atlantic Council.
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