Ukraine grain exports could resume soon: Türkiye

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Grain exports from Ukrainian ports could resume within two weeks following a recent deal reached in Istanbul, the Turkish presidential spokesman said.

" ... grain shipment is in the interest of both Russia and Ukraine. We can expect the first ships to sail in two weeks. It also depends on how ready the countries (Russia and Ukraine) are," Ibrahim Kalin told Bloomberg in an interview on Tuesday.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal last week to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain stuck for months due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has now entered its sixth month.

The deal came after a general agreement was reached between stakeholders on a UN-led plan during talks on July 13 to form a coordination center in Istanbul to carry out joint inspections at the entrance and exit of the harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes.

A joint coordination center in Istanbul will be opened on Wednesday in a ceremony with the participation of Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. All parties will appoint their representatives to monitor the implementation of the plan.

“An important agreement on grain shipments was reached despite difficulties. Similarly, a cease-fire and peace negotiations could be achieved through a similar process,” Kalin said.

He hailed Türkiye's balancing act between Moscow and Kyiv that led to the grain deal, saying: "We will continue the policy of balance between Russia and Ukraine. When the war started, I said 'who will talk to the Russians at the end of the day if everyone burns the bridges?'"

He said the amount of grain in the hands of Russia and Ukraine is expected to be between 40 and 50 million tons by the end of the year.

Kalin said the deal is valid for four months and will be automatically renewed.