Turkish, Ukrainian defense ministers talk on phone

ANKARA

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar discussed the Ukrainian crisis and the issue of the stranded A400M Turkish aircraft with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, on July 8.

Akar emphasized once again that Türkiye will continue to do its part in peace-building and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as it has done so far, and the need for a ceasefire as soon as possible, the Defense Ministry said.

The issue of ensuring safe transportation of the A400M aircraft to Türkiye was also discussed, it added.

Speaking after the foreign ministers’ meeting of the G-20 in Indonesia, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also briefed about his demarche with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Recalling his meeting with Lavrov on July 7, Çavuşoğlu stated that they evaluated the issue of how to end the war in Ukraine and exchanged their recommendations on this issue.

Çavuşoğlu noted that there are also long-standing negotiations on the export of products such as grain and fertilizer from Russia and that they discussed the issue.

Speaking on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting, Lavrov said Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine and Türkiye on the issue of grain export, but it is unclear when such talks can take place.

Türkiye has been in talks with both Russia and Ukraine to make it possible under a U.N. plan. The failure to create a secure corridor in the Black Sea for Ukrainian wheat can lead to a major global food crisis, particularly in the underdeveloped parts of the continent.

Çavuşoğlu, on July 6, had a phone talk with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba. The ministers also discussed the situation concerning Zhibek Zholy, a Russian-flagged cargo ship, allegedly carrying Ukraine’s grain. Kiev demanded the detention of the ship after it anchored in the Turkish territorial waters, near Sakarya province of Karasu, in the past days.

The ship reportedly left the Turkish territorial waters in the early hours of July 7, which prompted Kiev’s reaction.