Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara has intensified diplomatic work to restart the operation of the Black Sea grain corridor. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
"We are now making efforts to revive the operation of the grain corridor. We will also accelerate our diplomatic steps in this direction," Erdogan told journalists on a plane returning from New York.
He noted that security in the Black Sea is of great importance both for Turkey and for the entire region. According to the president, the Black Sea is not an area where the conflict in Ukraine is ongoing, and it should not become a front line of the conflict.
Erdogan noted that in contacts with the Russian and Ukrainian sides, Ankara is explaining in detail the need to restore the safety of navigation at sea. He said that ensuring security in the Black Sea would bring mutual benefit – it would help strengthen food security and prevent the conflict from spreading.
Erdogan noted that Turkey does not approve of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, regardless of who carries them out, and calls on the parties to act responsibly.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN on July 22, 2022, envisaged the transportation of Ukrainian grain and food, as well as fertilizers, from three ports across the Black Sea. The grain agreement expired on July 18, 2023.