Hakan Fidan's Visit to Russia (June 2026)

Hakan Fidan’s Visit to Russia is a two-day official visit by Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, to the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, on 16–17 June 2026, at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. During the visit, Minister Fidan is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as with his Russian counterpart Lavrov and other senior officials. He is also expected to hold meetings with Turkish businesspeople operating in Russia.

The agenda of the visit includes bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues. It has been stated that matters concerning bilateral relations, foremost among them trade, energy, security and consular affairs, will be addressed.

^{Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow, 16 June 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last visited Russia on 26–27 May 2025. His most recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took place on 18 April on the margins of the Fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 12 December 2025 on the sidelines of the International Peace and Security Forum held in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, it was noted that Türkiye-Russia bilateral relations have progressed on an institutional basis under the High-Level Cooperation Council established in 2010.

On 16 June, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, following which a joint press conference was held.

^{Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, 16 June 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Fidan emphasized that Türkiye-Russia relations are grounded in a deep historical legacy, strong economic foundations, political dialogue at the highest level between leaders, and mutual trust. He noted that despite the dangers arising from multiple conflicts and structural challenges threatening global peace and prosperity, the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation has been preserved.

Speaking at the joint press conference following the meeting, Lavrov referred to the dialogue between Russia and Türkiye, stating: “Our countries’ dialogue is advancing intensively at all levels — among leaders, parliamentary speakers and foreign ministers.”

Fidan outlined that during the talks, both sides discussed steps to be taken in the coming period on numerous items on the bilateral agenda, from energy to trade, saying: “Undoubtedly, ending conflicts in our region is of great importance to realizing the true potential of our bilateral relations. In this context, we conveyed our desire for the war in Ukraine, now entering its fifth year, to be brought to an end as soon as possible through peaceful means. I also reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to host the next round of negotiations. Our fundamental priority is for Russia and Ukraine to return to the diplomatic table. We are also prepared to discuss how negotiations can be made more outcome-oriented if the parties reach agreement.”

“The recent escalation in the Russia-Ukraine War and the threat of its geographic expansion are seriously alarming,” Fidan noted, adding that the increase in attacks targeting targets behind the front lines and attacks threatening navigation safety in the Black Sea “have necessitated de-escalatory measures to prevent adverse effects on third parties.”

Regarding navigation safety in the Black Sea, Minister Fidan said: “I also conveyed to my valued colleague our expectations regarding the prevention of developments that could harm Türkiye’s interests in the Black Sea. In this context, we exchanged views on what can be done to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.”

^{Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks at the joint press conference following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, 16 June 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Lavrov, commenting on the situation in the Black Sea region, said: “Provocative actions by the Kiev regime against Turkish grain ships and tankers, as well as terrorist threats targeting the TurkishStream and BlueStream pipelines, concern us. We agreed on the need for intensive cooperation to ensure security in the Black Sea region.”

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov stated: “We appreciate Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts toward resolving the situation in Ukraine. To achieve a durable, long-term and reliable solution, the fundamental causes of the crisis must be addressed, including Ukraine’s accession to NATO despite all promises, respect for the rights of the Russian population living in territories under Kiev’s control, and the full restoration of the rights of the Ukrainian Church.”

Fidan described the agreement reached between the United States and Iran as “an extremely valuable diplomatic threshold for breaking the climate of conflict in the region” and welcomed it, adding: “As our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) has also emphasized, our greatest hope is that this step, which brings relief to our region and the entire world, will evolve from a temporary pause into a structural and enduring security architecture.”

Fidan expressed his hope that the agreement would successfully move through its final signing process, be fully implemented, and transform into a lasting diplomatic foundation. He stressed: “During this sensitive period until final signatures are exchanged, it is essential to absolutely avoid statements that could poison the atmosphere of peace and any potential sabotage attempts by Israel aimed at derailing the process.” Fidan underscored the importance of the political will demonstrated by the leaders of the United States and Iran, noting: “We commend Pakistan’s mediation efforts and note with appreciation the diplomatic support provided by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”

^{Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow, 16 June 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

On the Strait of Hormuz, Fidan said: “The Strait must remain open to the safe, free and uninterrupted passage of all vessels, as it was before the war, as it is vital for regional stability, global energy security and international trade.” He noted that Türkiye’s aspiration in the coming period is for this agreement to open the door to a broader regional peace perspective and that Türkiye is working toward that goal.

In response to questions from journalists regarding the US-Iran agreement and the possibility of Israel accepting it, Fidan stated: “Almost all international actors not only wish for this peace to be achieved as soon as possible, but are also applying open or covert pressure toward that end.” He noted that Trump demonstrated political will, ignored Israel’s objections, Iran responded positively to this will, and a result was achieved. He added: “Our hope is that the remaining 60-day period will see these technical negotiations concluded as soon as possible, without being undermined by any sabotage, and that peace will take root in our region.”

Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s position that the Palestinian issue must be resolved within the framework of regional peace, stability and justice, emphasizing that it lies at the heart of all conflicts in the Middle East. He noted that Türkiye continues to contribute to diplomatic efforts to preserve the ceasefire in Gaza, ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access, and initiate reconstruction activities to establish stability. “It is clear that international efforts must be intensified to prevent Israel’s destructive actions undermining the two-state solution, violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, settler terrorism in the West Bank, and provocations in East Jerusalem. Israel’s attacks and occupations of Lebanon and Syria are part of its ongoing project to weaken these countries and destabilize the region. A strategy that strengthens opportunities for resolution rather than expanding conflict zones must prevail,” he said.

Fidan pointed out that “one of the key pillars of the regional stability perspective is Syria,” and said that the progress made toward establishing and consolidating stability, security and unity in Syria remains a source of hope. He affirmed that Türkiye will continue to cooperate with all parties committed to contributing constructively to the establishment of stability, security and economic development in Syria on the basis of its territorial integrity and unity.

Lavrov, commenting on the situation in the Middle East, said: “We are concerned about the persistence of the Iran, Lebanon and Palestine issues. The conflict between Iran and Israel is spilling beyond the Strait of Hormuz. The Lebanon and Palestine issues remain unresolved and continue to exist. The Israeli government claims that a Palestinian state will not be established. This violates United Nations (UN) resolutions. Russia and Türkiye oppose this and will insist on the implementation of these resolutions.” Lavrov also stated that Russia will work to strengthen Libya as a state, noting that Libya has remained divided since the Arab Spring of 2011, and that Russia supports UN initiatives on this matter.

Fidan, during his talks with Lavrov, said they thoroughly discussed recent developments in the South Caucasus and reaffirmed the importance of the peace and normalization processes for bringing stability and regional cooperation to the region.

Fidan expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the peace and normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stating: “The steps taken in this process demonstrate that the peace established on the ground is now being reflected in reality. ... As my colleague also noted, we believe the 3+3 regional cooperation platform offers an important framework for collaboration in this context.”

According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, on 17 June 2026, Fidan met in Moscow with Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council. According to the Russian news agency Tass, Shoigu, in remarks at the beginning of the meeting, acknowledged Fidan’s collaborative work, saying: “During both your previous and current roles, you have actively worked with Russia on various fronts.”

^{Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets Vladimir Medinsky, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, in Moscow, 16 June 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Shoigu assessed Türkiye’s initiatives toward resolving the Ukraine crisis, saying: “Agreements were prepared in Istanbul through our joint efforts. Had the West not interfered, this process would have been completed. Russia and Türkiye did everything in their power to prepare and implement the Istanbul agreements.” Shoigu drew attention to the 2022 Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement, brokered between Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations (UN), stating: “Russia and Türkiye fully fulfilled their obligations. The UN did not fulfill its obligations.”

In addition, Hakan Fidan met with Igor Levitin, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Presidential Special Representative for International Cooperation in Transportation, as well as with Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration.

According to ministry sources, the Türkiye-Russia bilateral trade volume in 2025 reached 49.08 billion US dollars, with exports from Türkiye amounting to 6.7 billion US dollars and imports from Russia totaling 42.3 billion US dollars. The number of Russian tourists visiting Türkiye continued to rise in 2025, exceeding 6.9 million. It was noted that work on the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Project continues under the Intergovernmental Agreement signed on 12 May 2010, with the first reactor scheduled to begin operations within 2026.