UPDATE - US thanks Türkiye for resumption of Ankara-brokered grain deal

ADDS DETAILS OF OTHER PHONE CALLS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, CHANGES DECK, ADDS BYLINE

By Handan Kazanci and Merve Aydogan

ISTANBUL (AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Türkiye on Wednesday for the resumption of the Ankara-brokered Black Sea grain deal in a phone call with the top Turkish diplomat.

According to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Blinken and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, particularly grain shipments via the Black Sea corridor.

Cavusoglu informed his US counterpart about the initiatives taken by Ankara to ensure that the grain deal is being implemented smoothly.

The two men also discussed Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bids and US F-16 sales to Türkiye.

Separately, the Turkish foreign minister spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and discussed the latest developments on the grain corridor.

Cavusoglu briefed Guterres about the efforts led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for resuming of grain deal, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Guterres thanked Türkiye for its efforts and "greatly welcomed" the results achieved, it added.

The Turkish foreign minister's intensive consultations continued with separate phone calls with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts.

Cavusoglu discussed the grain corridor with both Dmytro Kuleba and Sergey Lavrov.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume Black Sea grain exports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.

On Saturday, Russia announced that it would suspend its participation in the deal for what it alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea fleet at the port of Sevastopol.

Earlier on Wednesday, Türkiye and Russia announced Moscow's return to the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative following Ankara and the UN's mediation.