Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, on September 1. The talks centered on bilateral ties, regional issues, and the war in Ukraine, alongside discussions on the Middle East, North Africa, and the South Caucasus Putin praised Turkey’s “special role” in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, pointing to three rounds of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul since May that yielded progress on humanitarian issues. Erdogan, in turn, reiterated his invitation for Putin to visit Turkey for potential peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky has previously voiced openness to holding direct talks with Putin in Turkey, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that “no agenda has been prepared.” Analysts say Ankara is seeking to strengthen its reputation as a key mediator, leveraging its unique position as a NATO member with ties to both Russia and Ukraine. Turkey had also facilitated direct communication between the warring sides in 2022.