Erdoğan informs Zelenskyy that he begins working on revival of grain deal
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Getty Images)
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, July 11, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. During the talks, Erdoğan informed Zelenskyy that he had begun work on resuming the grain deal, according to the press service of the Turkish President's office and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram channel.
It is reported that Zelenskyy and Erdoğan discussed "the course of the Ukraine-Russia war as well as regional and global issues".
"Stating that Türkiye continues to exert its efforts in order to end the Ukraine-Russia war with a just peace, President Erdoğan added that efforts to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative have begun," Erdoğan's office said.
The Turkish president also emphasized that his country is ready for "any initiative, including mediation, to lay the groundwork for peace".
Zelenskyy also reported on the meeting with Erdoğan.
"President Erdoğan commended Ukraine's efforts aimed at bringing our people back home. He especially appreciated the return of Crimean Tatars and thanked us for these efforts. I assured President Erdoğan that our team will continue this work," the President noted.
He added that Ukraine is preparing to hold a conference in Türkiye dedicated to food security and freedom of navigation as part of the implementation of the Peace Summit decisions.
Grain deal
After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia began blockading Ukrainian ports. Later, Türkiye, along with the UN, signed separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on the "grain corridor" in the Black Sea.
The agreement was extended several times, but each time it expired, Russia announced that it would not continue the "grain corridor" operation.
In July last year, Russia announced its withdrawal from the grain deal due to the non-fulfillment of its demands. Meanwhile, the Russian army began shelling Odesa, targeting the port and port infrastructure.
