Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said he would have a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine, adding that he would also ask him to restart a deal for the safe passage of grains via the Black Sea.
NATO member Türkiye has maintained cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow during the war, providing military help to Ukraine but refusing to join Western sanctions on Moscow.
It has hosted three rounds of peace talks between the warring parties in Istanbul and offered to host a leaders' meeting.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday after a G20 summit in South Africa, Erdoğan said the 2022 Black Sea grain deal, brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations, aimed to pave the path for a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
"We were able to succeed in this up to a certain point and it did not continue after. Now, during the discussions we will have tomorrow, I will again ask Mr. Putin about this. I think it would be very beneficial if we can start this process," he said.
He added that he would also discuss how to "end the deaths" during the call, and that he would share with European and U.S. leaders and allies the outcomes of his conversation with Putin.
Erdoğan did not comment directly on Washington's 28-point draft plan to end the war. Kyiv and European allies have voiced alarm over what they see as major concessions to the aggressor Russia, as officials meet in Geneva to discuss it.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative was inked in July 2022 to allow the safe export of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, despite the war.
Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced serious obstacles. It has also complained of restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance as a barrier to shipments.
Last week, Erdoğan hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ankara, and on Sunday discussed the war in Ukraine with the leaders of France and Italy, according to his office.
He called for all diplomatic efforts to be utilised to reach a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine, saying the resumption of talks in Istanbul could help this effort.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to advance joint industrial projects, investment and technical cooperation following talks in Minsk, as Kabul s...
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deep...
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment