Türkiye to continue efforts to ease global food crisis: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Türkiye is determined to continue efforts to keep the Ukraine grain deal in force despite Russia suspending its participation in the landmark agreement, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 31.

“Although Russia is hesitant in this regard because the same facilities are not provided for itself, we will resolutely continue our efforts to serve humanity,” Erdoğan said at the 8th Turkish Medical World Congress.

The president recalled that one-third of the world’s wheat production was carried out by Ukraine and Russia.

“With the joint mechanism that we have ensured to be established in Istanbul, we have provided a relative reduction in the food crisis by offering 9.3 million tons of Ukrainian wheat to the service of the world,” he stated.

Erdoğan’s remarks came after Moscow said it suspended its participation in the deal negotiated by Türkiye and the U.N. to export Ukrainian grain.

Ankara continues to negotiate and coordinate with his interlocutors for the resumption of Black Sea grain exports, the defense ministry said on Oct. 30.

“Russian personnel working at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul are still at the Center. During this period, there will be no shipping from Ukraine. The inspection of the grain-laden ships waiting in front of Istanbul is planned to continue today and tomorrow,” said the statement.

The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) said that the U.N., Türkiye and Ukraine agreed on a plan to move 14 vessels that are in Turkish waters on Oct. 31.

According to a marine traffic website, two cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products on Oct. 31 left Ukrainian ports.

The ships, Admiral de Ribas and Mount Baker, left port days after Russia suspended its participation in an agreement that allowed vital grain shipments to pass through the Black Sea.

Twelve ships were due to leave Ukrainian ports on Oct. 31 and four were to head to the country, according to the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that has been overseeing the agreement brokered by Türkiye and the U.N.

Russia has notified the U.N. and Türkiye of its plans to suspend the agreement for an indefinite period after Moscow accused Ukraine of a “massive” drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

The July deal to unlock grain exports signed between warring nations Russia and Ukraine is critical to easing the global food crisis caused by the conflict.

“Civilian cargo ships can never be a military target or held hostage. The food must flow,” Amir M. Abdulla, U.N. Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, tweeted on Oct. 31.

The agreement, which established a safety corridor through which vessels could travel to Istanbul for inspections, had already allowed more than 9 million tons of Ukrainian grain to be exported and was due to be renewed on Nov. 19.