Turkish, Ukrainian presidents discuss developments in Russia-Ukraine war, grain deal

By Busra Nur Cakmka

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish and Ukrainian presidents on Friday spoke over the phone and discussed the developments in the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv and the Istanbul grain deal.

According to the Turkish presidency, Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his “constructive attitude” toward the extension of the landmark grain deal.

Noting the positive experiences gained from the grain agreement and the prisoner exchange, Erdogan said it would benefit everyone to extend this understanding to the negotiation avenue, particularly the cease-fire.

The Turkish president also thanked his Ukrainian counterpart for his condolences over the deadly Istanbul terror attack that left six people dead and 81 others injured.

In a Twitter post, Zelenskyy said: “In a phone call with President @RTErdogan we praised the extension of the grain deal. I thanked for supporting our #GrainfromUkraine initiative and assured that Ukraine will remain a guarantor of food stability. Security and energy cooperation were also discussed.”

Last week, days before its scheduled expiration, the landmark grain deal signed in Istanbul in July by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine was extended for another 120 days, beginning Nov. 19.