How Türkiye became a trusted global mediator in conflict zones

Türkiye’s significant role as an international mediator is again under the spotlight as Istanbul gears up to host a new – and potentially momentous – round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this Thursday.

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have both signalled a willingness to meet in person in the Turkish metropolis to resume talks, bringing global attention to Ankara’s position as a central player in regional and international diplomacy.

From facilitating critical grain exports from Ukraine during the ongoing war to hosting peace talks between Africa and other nations, Türkiye has emerged as a trusted intermediary capable of steering high-stakes negotiations, according to analysts.

Its active diplomatic involvement extends across various conflict zones, including Ethiopia and Somalia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, prisoner exchanges involving the US and Russia, and complex disputes in the Balkans.

“Türkiye has stepped up as a mediator in different regional contexts. In the Ukraine-Russia war it also facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain, which was a very important development,” said Elem Eyrice Tepeciklioglu, an academic at the Social Sciences University of Ankara.

Türkiye has been a central diplomatic figure between Kiev and Moscow since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

On March 10, 2022, just days after matters escalated, Ankara successfully hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, marking the highest-level meeting since the war’s outbreak.

Furthering its mediation efforts, Türkiye facilitated another crucial gathering of Russian and Ukrainian negotiation teams in Istanbul from March 28 to 30, 2022.

Ankara’s most notable diplomatic triumph was brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative alongside the UN on July 22, 2022.

This agreement, aimed at alleviating global food security threats triggered by the war, garnered widespread international acclaim and resulted in establishing a Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has maintained open communication channels with Moscow and Kiev. With his landmark visit to Lviv on Aug. 18, 2022, Erdogan became the only NATO leader to have visited both nations since hostilities erupted, reflecting Türkiye’s unique position.

Furthermore, Türkiye successfully facilitated a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine on September 22, 2022.

Ethiopia-Somalia dispute resolution In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Türkiye helped mediate a historic resolution between Somalia and Ethiopia in December 2024, culminating in the Ankara Declaration.

The landmark accord brokered by Türkiye resolved tensions sparked by Ethiopia’s January 2024 maritime access deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland regarding the Red Sea port of Berbera.

The agreement, as President Erdogan later emphasized, was achieved after a marathon seven-hour negotiation.

In the declaration, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed “reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity.”

Azerbaijan-Armenia tensions In the South Caucasus, Türkiye significantly influenced the decades-long Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Karabakh.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan successfully regained control of Karabakh through a swift 44-day military campaign triggered by Armenian provocations and attacks.

Türkiye played a critical supporting role throughout the conflict, offering extensive defense industry cooperation, technology transfers, and strategic diplomatic support that contributed significantly to Azerbaijan’s military success and subsequent peace efforts.

Historic international prisoner exchange Türkiye’s mediation efforts have extended beyond traditional conflicts.

In August 2024, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) orchestrated one of the most extensive prisoner exchanges involving seven countries.

A total of 26 individuals were exchanged and transported to Ankara on seven aircraft – one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and two from the US, according to security sources. Belarus was also involved in the swap.

Ten hostages, including two children, were transferred to Russia, while 13 were sent to Germany and three to the US.

The Balkans: Facilitating regional dialogue and stability Türkiye’s role in the Balkans also reflects its commitment to regional stability and reconciliation. In 2010, Türkiye launched trilateral cooperation efforts involving Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia – three nations still grappling with the legacy of the Yugoslav Wars.

The initiative, grounded in regional dialogue and reconciliation, seeks to bridge long-standing ethnic and political divides, deepen economic cooperation, and promote regional integration.

Under the mechanism, nine meetings at the level of foreign ministers have been held to date, with the most recent hosted by Croatia on June 29, 2024, as part of the Dubrovnik Forum.

Other major mediation steps Other geographies where Ankara has made its mark as a mediator range from the Middle East to Southeast Asia and beyond.

According to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Türkiye has actively worked to resolve conflicts peacefully and leads several initiatives on that front, including efforts to achieve internal reconciliation in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Kyrgyzstan.

In 2011, Türkiye launched the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process alongside Afghanistan and Pakistan, seeking to promote regional ownership of Afghan stability.

Ankara’s trilateral format with Kabul and Islamabad focused on counterterrorism, trade, and infrastructure cooperation.

Türkiye has also facilitated trust-building efforts between Sudan and South Sudan through joint economic projects, attempting to ease tensions between two countries that have clashed since South Sudan’s secession in 2011.

Ankara has also promoted the peaceful resolution of Iran’s nuclear program through dialogue, while also supporting the peace process in South Philippines, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Türkiye’s decades-long commitment to mediation Experts emphasize that Türkiye’s mediation strategy is not a recent phenomenon but results from a sustained foreign policy initiative spanning several decades.

Tepeciklioglu, a professor at the university’s African Studies Department, pointed out Türkiye’s proactive role in launching the Mediation for Peace initiative within the UN framework in 2010, which significantly increased international awareness of mediation’s role in conflict resolution.

“It led to the expansion of the Group of Friends on Mediation, of which several African countries are also members. This played a role in increasing awareness about the role of mediation in conflict resolution,” she explained.

Echoing similar sentiments, Esra Cuhadar, a former senior mediation advisor, remarked that while Türkiye’s mediation efforts have been ongoing for many years, recent successes have increased their global prominence.

“Türkiye has made a lot of contributions to policymaking concerning mediation at the global and regional level, and this has also been going on for decades,” she said, highlighting Türkiye’s key role in organisations such as the Friends of Mediation Group at the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Why Türkiye is viewed as a reliable mediator Experts pointed out several reasons conflicting nations view Türkiye as a reliable mediator. According to Tepeciklioglu, Türkiye’s impartial stance and established relations with various countries strengthen its mediation credibility.

“Türkiye is seen as a reliable … mediator by different countries in the world, not only the ones it has close relations, such as the African countries at present, but also other countries that see Türkiye as more reliable than others,” she explained.

Tepeciklioglu emphasized that Türkiye’s successful mediation between Somalia and Ethiopia benefited from Ankara’s strong historic ties with both nations.

Ethiopia specifically requested Türkiye’s mediation, which Somalia warmly welcomed, she said.

“Somalia is a key ally in Türkiye’s Africa policy, while it has relations with Ethiopia dating back to the Ottoman Empire,” she added.

Türkiye’s reliable mediator status results from its comprehensive African policy that includes extensive humanitarian and development projects, educational opportunities for African students, and robust trade and investment ties.

Türkiye also has numerous embassies in African countries and its national airlines flies to several destinations across the continent, said Tepeciklioglu.

Turkish NGOs and public institutions are also involved in large-scale humanitarian and development projects, including the provision of educational opportunities to African students, she added.

“So, it did not happen overnight. It is the product of Türkiye’s Africa strategy, which is very comprehensive, covering trade ties, investment relations, security cooperation, training facilities, and so on,” said the academic.

“This made Türkiye be seen as a reliable actor by many African countries.” Cuhadar underscored two critical assets that mediators must possess: impartiality and resources.

Türkiye’s mediation, she explained, is strengthened by its impartiality and ability to offer meaningful resources and solutions.

Another factor that motivates conflicting parties to ask for Türkiye's mediation is the geographical location and proximity to conflict areas, she said.

Cuhadar added that identity-related factors, such as cultural and historical ties, also significantly contribute to Türkiye’s successful mediation outcomes.

“This was pretty much the assets that we brought to Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation, for example,” she highlighted.

Türkiye’s enhanced global mediation role reflects a long-term strategy bolstered by impartiality, historic connections, diplomatic ingenuity, and strategic geographical positioning.

As global conflicts persist, analysts say Ankara’s diplomatic endeavors demonstrate the crucial value of effective mediation, highlighting Türkiye’s emergence as an indispensable player in international peacebuilding efforts.