Gambian vice president hails Turkish leader's efforts on Black Sea grain corridor

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Gambia's vice president on Monday praised Türkiye's leader for mediating the Black Sea grain corridor agreement, providing food aid for African nations.

Countries that depend on wheat imports are able to feed themselves thanks to the accord, Badara Joof told Anadolu Agency during 8th World Halal summit and 9th Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Halal Expo, which the news agency is serving as global communications partner.

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

So far, some 12 million tons of grain were delivered via ships through the grain corridor thanks to the agreement.

"That is a very huge humanitarian gesture and only a strong leader with strong foresight ... with a humanitarian feeling would do those things," Joof said.

"Your president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) did very well for the world, when he mediated, he did not mediate only for Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia but for the rest of the world."

On the expo, he emphasized that Gambia has the potential for greater agricultural production but lacks the capital and technology, making the expo an opportunity to find investors.

"I think we can become self-sufficient in food and also have food security, the future of the West African sub-region does not lie in the barrel of the AK-47," he said.

The province needs strong policies, strong institutions, a vibrant democratic process that allows the space for people's participation, reorientation and recalibration of the armies, he added.