Erdoğan vows to revive grain deal amid UN talks with Zelensky
NEW YORK
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to work towards reviving a key grain deal amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
His remarks came during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at New York’s Turkish House, a skyscraper located across from the U.N. building, on the sidelines of a General Assembly session on Sept. 25.
The two leaders discussed pressing issues including the war in Ukraine and efforts for peace.
A resolution to the conflict could only be achieved through dialogue while safeguarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, Erdoğan told Zelensky.
"Türkiye is ready to take all kinds of facilitating steps, including mediation, to achieve peace," he said.
A focal point of the discussion was the Black Sea grain deal. It was established in July 2022 to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian agricultural products across the mine-laden Black Sea.
Moscow abandoned the deal a year later, citing unfair terms. Since the deal's collapse, Ukraine has been using alternative shipping routes along the coastline to avoid contested waters.
Both leaders expressed a commitment to working together on matters of mutual interest and voiced hope for future cooperation in achieving a resolution to the conflict.
Zelensky welcomed Türkiye's efforts in facilitating peace talks.
In addition, the leaders also covered broader regional and global issues.
Erdoğan also met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Turkish house. He noted "significant progress" in efforts to normalize ties between Ankara and Yerevan, as the neighbors have been working on this since appointing special representatives in 2021.
Erdoğan’s engagement extended to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with whom he discussed bilateral relations and global issues, including the conflict in Gaza.
They agreed to hold a high-level cooperation council meeting in Türkiye in early 2025.
Erdoğan stressed the importance of dialogue in addressing regional and global challenges.
His comments come amid a thaw in relations between Türkiye and Greece. The rapprochement began with a meeting between Erdoğan and Mitsotakis at a NATO summit in July last year.
The leaders agreed to "open a new page" in bilateral relations, resulting in reciprocal visits and several cooperation agreements.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan commented on the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC News.
“We are against terrorists. But I am one of the leaders who knows Hamas well. I have never called Hamas a terrorist organization,” he said. “Hamas is a resistance group that is trying to protect its lands.”
Erdoğan urged to understand the historical and social factors leading to the war, particularly the events leading up to the Hamas onslaught on Oct. 7 last year.
“I wonder how many Palestinians were martyred there... When we examine the background of this, the situation reaches very different levels,” he added.
The president has met with several world leaders ahead of his U.N. General Assembly address on Sept. 24 to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Erdoğan criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, accusing it of violating international law and human rights.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Germany bilateral relations, Ankara's EU membership bid and challenges Turkish citizens face in obtaining Schengen visas, according to Erdoğan’s office.
During separate talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdoğan emphasized the need for peace amid Israel’s attacks on Palestine and Lebanon.
In a series of previous meetings held at the Turkish House, Erdoğan met with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.