The Turkish authorities have stepped up diplomatic efforts against Russia and Ukraine on the issue of agreeing on a new corridor in the Black Sea for grain supplies.
This is reported by Ekonomim with reference to sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Transport. They claim that Ankara "maintains continuous diplomatic contacts" both with Moscow and with Kiev.
As Kazim Taiji, President of the Turkish Grain Exporters Association, explained to the agency, currently grain from Russia and with Ukraine does not enter Turkey by sea.
In this connection, there was a need to restore a deal similar to the Istanbul agreement of July 2022. Thus in Ankara is trying to overcome interruptions in the supply of agricultural products.
"Turkey no longer receives products from any of the Ukraine, none of Russia… These two countries provide 40% of the world's grain needs. Due to the impossibility of delivering products to the world market, prices have already increased by 4-4.5%. If the problem is not solved within two months, the growth may exceed 10%," Taiji warned.
Recall that in 2022, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, with the mediation of Turkey and the UN, agreed on the Black Sea Initiative. In July 2023, Russia suspended participation in the deal.
Moscow motivated this decision by non—fulfillment of the second part of the agreement - on the resumption of exports of Russian products.
Earlier, EADaily reported that Ukrainian farmers may reduce crops next year. Exports from the Black Sea ports have practically stopped and Ukraine is forced to send the harvest for storage.