Erdogan supports Ukraine's NATO membership as Zelensky seeks backing ahead of Lithuania summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backed Ukraine's NATO membership bid and said that the country 'deserves' to be a part of the Western bloc, media reports said.This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is on a visit to Turkey, has been urging its allies to support Kyiv in its aspirations to join NATO at a time when Russia's war has been waging on for over a year with no end in sight.

The timing of Zelensky's visit is crucial as it comes ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania next week. The White House has already said that there will be discussions on necessary steps for Ukraine's qualification to join the transatlantic alliance.

“Without a doubt, Ukraine deserves to be in NATO,” Erdogan said during a joint press conference in Istanbul alongside the Ukrainian president.

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Apart from this, the Turkish president also voiced hope for the extension of the Black Sea grain deal, a crucial agreement for global food security.

In May, the grain deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations was prolonged for an additional two months. However, it is now set to expire in 10 days.

President Erdogan further pledged his support for the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine and stressed Turkey's commitment to engage in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict.

Black Sea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the importance of transforming the Black Sea into a region characterised by safety and cooperation, rather than being plagued by “so-called frozen conflicts”.

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“Today we focused our conversation on how your [Turkish] leadership can renew peace and normal world order when the interests of all nations are balanced,” Zelensky said adding, “Black Sea should be an area of safety, cooperation and not an area of war or any crises or so-called frozen conflicts that can ignite at any minute and strike and effect people’s lives."

The Crimean question

Zelensky thanked Turkey for its support in upholding Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During his discussions, he also mentioned the situation in Crimea, which, he said, Russia continues to "unlawfully" control.

The Ukrainian president said that Moscow is using Crimea as a "bridgehead of threats and danger". He affirmed Ukraine's determination to regain control over Crimea.

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Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces blockaded key Ukrainian Black Sea ports, disrupting vital grain exports.

This blockade prevented millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain from being exported to countries that heavily rely on it.

In July 2022, an agreement was reached to establish procedures ensuring the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports, leading to the resumption of exports. The deal has been extended since then.

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