Erdogan pledges to make efforts to push Russia for extending grain export agreement
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Saturday that he urged Russia to extend the grain export agreement through Black Sea ports for at least three months and announced a visit by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Turkey in August.
Erdogan made these remarks at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after discussing the fate of the agreement mediated by Turkey and the United Nations last year to allow for the safe transportation of grain from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea despite the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky arrived in Turkey following visits to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia as part of a tour of some NATO member countries aimed at urging them to take concrete steps during an upcoming summit to grant Ukraine membership in the alliance, which Erdogan said Kiev deserves.
Erdogan stated that efforts are currently being made to extend the grain export agreement for longer periods after its expiration on July 17. He added that the agreement will be one of the most important issues on the agenda of his discussions with Putin in Turkey next month.
During the press conference with Zelensky, he stated, “We hope it will be extended for at least three months once, not every two months. We will make efforts in this regard and try to extend it to two years.”
The two presidents also discussed another important issue for Erdogan’s talks with Putin, which is the prisoner exchange matter, and Zelensky stated that it was the first item on their agenda. Erdogan added, “I hope we get a result from this soon.”
Zelensky mentioned that he will wait for results before commenting on the matter, but he clarified that the discussion touched on details regarding the repatriation of all prisoners, including children who were deported to Russia and other groups.
Erdogan indicated that the issue may also be raised in his communications with the Russian president prior to his visit. He said, “If we have some phone calls before that, we will also discuss it during the communication.”
The Kremlin stated on Friday that it is closely monitoring the discussions between Erdogan and Zelensky, adding that Putin greatly appreciates Erdogan’s efforts to mediate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Responding to a question about the preparations for Putin’s visit to Turkey in August, the TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying today, “Contacts are possible. There is no specific date yet.”
Russia, feeling frustrated with the implementation of certain aspects of the grain export agreement, has threatened to refuse its extension beyond July 17.
Turkey, a member of NATO, has managed to maintain friendly relations with both Ukraine and Russia during the ongoing war for about 16 months and played a role last year in mediating an agreement for a prisoner exchange.
Turkey did not join its Western allies in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, yet it has supported arming Ukraine and called for respecting its sovereignty.
