Zelenskyy to Visit Türkiye on Oct. 31

Overview

• The Turkish Presidency announced on Oct. 30 that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s invitation for a working visit to Istanbul on Oct. 31, 2026.
• Turkish officials said talks will cover steps to deepen bilateral cooperation and the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea, including recent drone strikes on merchant vessels.
• Türkiye has a track record as a regional interlocutor, having helped create the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative and hosting Ukraine–Russia talks in 2025, which shapes its role in these discussions.
• Recent diplomacy that set the stage for the visit included Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan’s July trip to Kyiv and Erdoğan’s early-October call with Vladimir Putin about Black Sea security.
• Observers will watch for any joint measures to secure shipping lanes, commitments on maritime protections, or offers by Türkiye to mediate further between Kyiv and Moscow.