Turkish communications director hails landmark grain deal

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish communications director on Friday praised a deal brokered by Ankara and the UN to resume Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports.

“Türkiye under our President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s leadership showed once again the importance of persistent diplomacy in confronting challenges facing the international community. The deal signed today will ease the global food crisis by allowing much-needed grain exports,” Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

Underlining that the deal will prevent famine and save lives around the world, Altun said Türkiye worked closely with warring sides as well as the UN to broker this deal, which is an indication of the country’s determination to address global challenges through diplomacy.

Altun noted that Türkiye has long been a prominent actor in the international arena thanks to President Erdogan’s leadership.

“We continue to work hard to solve the current regional and global crises such as food security, migration, energy shortages, and regional conflicts among others,” Altun said.

Türkiye has been making efforts for a diplomatic achievement since the start of the Ukraine war on Feb. 24, Altun added.

“We were able to bring the two sides together for talks for cease-fires in the past. We are happy to see today’s great progress on the grain exports issue,” he said. “As Türkiye, we will never shy away from engagement with relevant actors if it will serve the cause of stability and peace.”

Altun stressed that Friday’s agreement indicated that the international community can work with Türkiye to address several enormous challenges facing humanity.

The deal was signed with the mediation of Türkiye and the UN, and Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in attendance.

Under the deal, a coordination center will be established to carry out joint inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Internationally praised for its mediator role, Türkiye coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments long stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth month.