Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considered the holding of the second round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul Monday, despite the recent military escalation between them, a significant success in itself.

According to Qatar News Agency, in statements following the weekly Turkish government meeting, Erdogan expressed his hope to bring together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul or Ankara, and to include US President Donald Trump in the meeting. He expressed his desire to transform Istanbul into a center for peace.

In another context, the Turkish President said that achieving stability and peace in Syria will benefit all its neighbors and countries in the region, expressing his warm welcome for the European countries’ decision to lift sanctions on Syria following US President Donald Trump’s statements, which marked a turning point in the Syrian file.

Erdogan announced that Syrian Airlines will soon begin flights to Turkiye, and that Turkish carrier AJet will also operate regular flights to Syria.