Erdoğan, Guterres discuss latest developments on grain deal

ANKARA

Türkiye’s president and the U.N. Secretary-General spoke by phone on Nov. 3 about the latest developments in the Black Sea grain deal, said Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Antonio Guterres “addressed the developments regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and the grain corridor,” the directorate said on Twitter.

“Personal relationships are the most important and productive steps in diplomacy. Without it, you cannot take these fruitful steps. We talked about this with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. This is what we call leader diplomacy. Not everyone can be such a leader,” Erdoğan said formerly in a televised interview with ATV broadcaster.

Erdoğan said he talked to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday evening and Russian President Putin on Tuesday to resolve the grain deadlock, and that this step will be expanded.

The grain export deal will prioritize African countries, as agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdoğan stated.

“The situation in Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan is not good at all. If there is a problem in any other less developed countries, we will carry out shipments to these countries,” Erdoğan said.

In the telephone call, Zelensky “thanked [Erdoğan] for his active participation in preserving the grain deal,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on Twitter following Turkish efforts to revive the agreement which has played a crucial role in easing a global food crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.