Turkish Defense Minister: Erdogan can persuade Russia to resume grain deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is able to force the resumption of the grain deal, which was suspended in July, declared Minister of Defense of the Republic Yashar Güler in an interview with A haber TV channel.

“Our president is making great efforts to address the issue (with the resumption of the grain deal) on this busy agenda. Personally, I believe that our president can solve this problem,” he said.

According to the minister, the reduction in supplies from Ukraine and Russia – “the breadbasket of the whole world” – can create a threat to food security in the world.

Earlier today the same channel informedthat Russian President Vladimir Putin may meet with Erdogan in late August or early September. According to him, Erdogan expects the arrival of the President of the Russian Federation to Turkey, but if the visit does not take place, then “the trip” of the Turkish leader is not ruled out. The parties may discuss at the talks, according to the channel, the prospect of resuming the grain deal.

The deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. As part of the negotiations, two agreements were signed between Moscow and Kiev. The first is for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chornomorsk, the second is for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers.

On July 17, 2023, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Initiative, as the second part of the agreement remained unfulfilled. By evaluation Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), world food prices rose by 1.3% in July after falling in June and May. In particular, sunflower oil rose in price by 15% in July against the background of uncertainty after Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal.

On August 2, Putin held telephone conversations with Erdogan, during which he announced Moscow’s readiness to return to the grain deal as soon as the West fulfills its second part. The Kremlin press service noted that in the absence of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the deal, its next extension has lost its meaning.