Ankara intensifies diplomatic efforts to extend grain deal

ANKARA

Intense diplomatic efforts are underway in Ankara as Türkiye seeks to renew a vital agreement between Ukraine and Russia, allowing Ukrainian grain to access global markets through the Turkish straits.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, previously expressing confidence in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's support for the extension, announced on July 14 that he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are in agreement to prolong the agreement. The president also revealed plans to host Putin in Türkiye next month.

Erdoğan expressed hope to ensure the extension with the joint efforts of Türkiye and Russia, relying on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' July 11 letter to Putin on the subject.

His announcement followed discussions between Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akçapar and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Vershinin, on July 13.

The conversation was initiated by Türkiye, and "special attention was paid to the implementation of the 'Black Sea initiative' on the export of Ukrainian food," according to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Set to expire late on July 17, the deal brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye, signed by Moscow and Kiev in July 2022, established a protected sea corridor allowing Ukraine's agricultural goods to reach global markets. A joint coordination center with officials from the three countries and the U.N. was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Moscow had frequently threatened to withdraw from the grain deal, citing obstacles to the export of its agricultural products resulting from Western shipping and insurance restrictions, as well as banking limitations. On July 4, Russia expressed skepticism about extending the agreement, criticizing alleged hindrances to its own agricultural exports.

Guterres, for his part, supports removing hurdles to Russia exporting its fertilizers, another element of the July 2022 deal that Moscow has regularly complained is not being respected, due to Western sanctions blocking transactions by Russia's agricultural bank, his spokesman said.

Since its implementation on Aug. 1, 2022, the agreement has facilitated the secure transport of nearly 33 million tons of agricultural goods, primarily wheat and maize, through the Black Sea. The deal effectively stabilized prices that had surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and prevented food shortages and famine in countries heavily dependent on imports.

China emerged as the largest importer, receiving 7.75 metric tons, followed by Spain with 5.6 million tons and Türkiye with 3.1 million tons, according to data from the coordination center established under the accord. Additionally, the deal enabled the World Food Program (WFP) to deliver 725,000 tons of food to crisis-stricken countries, such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

However, as the expiration of the agreement looms, shipments have slowed. Between July 2 and 13, only seven ships departed from Ukrainian ports in Odesa and Chernomorsk, significantly lower than the average daily number recorded last October.