Russia strikes Ukrainian grain facility, Erdogan urges Putin not to let war escalate
Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish President Erdogan on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin not to let tensions escalate after Russia attacked a key facility for grain shipments from Ukraine.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan played a key role in brokering the now-collapsed Black Sea grain deal and has positioned himself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Black Sea grain agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July last year allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grains that had been blocked by the Russia-Ukraine war, but the agreement was terminated last month after Russia withdrew.
“Any action that would heighten the tension in the Russia-Ukraine war should not be taken,” Erdogan said today.
Erdogan also stressed the importance of the grain deal, calling it a “bridge to peace”, the Turkish presidency said.
Ukraine said on Monday that Russia had attacked port infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian state of Odesa, targeting facilities used to export grain after a deal collapsed. Ukrainian prosecutors said a grain elevator, several barns and warehouses were damaged or destroyed in the attack.
According to the Turkish presidency, Erdogan also told Putin that the prolonged lapse of the grain deal “is not in everyone’s interest” and that poor countries would be hit the hardest.
Erdogan also mentioned that grain prices, which fell by 23% when the agreement was implemented, have risen by 15% in the past two weeks. He vowed that Turkey would “intensify its efforts” through diplomacy to restore the deal.
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2023-08-02 14:05:02
