Turkish president believes Russia's Putin wants continuation of Black Sea grain deal

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) — Despite halting Moscow's participation in the Black Sea grain deal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the agreement to continue.

"Despite the statement today, I believe that Russian President Putin wants this humanitarian bridge to continue," Erdogan said at a news conference in Istanbul before heading to Saudi Arabia for an official visit.

Erdogan's remarks came soon after the Kremlin announced its suspension of the grain deal, which is expiring Monday.

The Black Sea grain agreement went down in history as a diplomatic success, Erdogan stressed, adding that Türkiye has always attached importance on the initiative's continuation and has intensified diplomatic efforts to this end.

Erdogan said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will discuss the deal over the phone, expressing hope that it will continue "without interruption."

"Besides, we may take steps via a phone call with Putin without waiting for August," he added.

Previously, Erdogan said Putin is expected to visit Türkiye in August to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

A year ago, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which had been paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began that February.

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