Turkey and Russia agree on grain export corridor in the Black Sea

In connection with the Ukraine crisis, there is a global food crisis. Ships loaded with grain cannot leave Ukrainian ports due to mines reported to have been laid by Ukraine.

Moscow-based newspaper Izvestia announced that Turkey and Russia had agreed on a joint plan to end the food crisis.

According to the plan, which is said to cover only the Odessa Port, the mines laid by Ukraine on the shores of Odessa will be cleared by the Turkish navy. Later, Turkish warships will accompany the grain-laden transports to international waters in the Black Sea. Afterwards, Russian warships will take over and accompany the ships to the Bosphorus.

In its news on the subject, Izvestiya newspaper also included the views of Onur Sinan Guzaltan, an expert of United Word International (UWI). For the original text in Russian, read here.

Guzaltan made the following evaluations on the subject:

“Turkey has a long coastline to the Black Sea, so it is directly affected by the developments there. In addition, Ankara has assumed an effective mediation role between Russia and Ukraine. For these reasons, Turkey’s inclusion in the “grain export corridor” plan is expected and should be considered normal.”

Guzaltan also touched upon the issue of the security of the Black Sea and said: “Turkey is trying to resolve a crisis in the Black Sea that also threatens its own interests.”

Guzaltan stated that “Turkey maintains the stability of the Black Sea by implementing the Montreux Convention gracefully,” and added that “the issue can be clarified during the visit of Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Ankara.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to visit Turkey on 8 June and discuss different issues with his counterparts, including the grain corridor.