4 more grain ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul deal: Türkiye

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Four more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the landmark Istanbul grain export deal, Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

A ministry statement, which did not disclose the point of origin of the ships, said shipments from Ukrainian ports have continued as planned.

This July, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which paused after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.

The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond the deal's Nov. 19 end date to include Russian grain and fertilizer exports.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Since the first ship left Ukraine under the deal on Aug. 1, more than 365 ships with over 8 million tons of agricultural products have left ports.