Plan for grain shipments from Ukraine reached after 4-way meeting in Istanbul: Turkish defense chief

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA (AA) – A plan for grain shipments from Ukraine was agreed upon in general principles after a meeting between Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, and UN officials, said Türkiye’s defense minister on Monday.

During a video conference, Hulusi Akar said the parties are working to turn this into a concrete implementation plan.

A meeting last Wednesday between Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, and UN officials agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports.

Akar stressed that at the meeting, Ukrainian and Russian military delegations gathered around the same table with UN members for the first time.

He stated that during the week the issues of setting up an operations center in Istanbul, joint controls at the port exit and arrival points, and ensuring navigational safety on the transfer routes are likely to be discussed.

Nearly 4,900 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN figures. Over 15 million people have also been forced to flee their homes, including more than 8.4 million that have fled to other countries.