Türkiye pledges to continue initiatives to extend grain deal

Türkiye will continue its efforts to extend the grain deal, which expires on July 17.

The head of the republic's Defence Ministry Yashar Guler made the statement in a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov, TASS reports.

"During the conversation, the latest developments around the supply of grain to the world markets were discussed. Minister Guler noted the importance of the smooth implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in addressing the global food crisis and its benefits for all mankind. He reiterated that our country [Türkiye] will continue with constructive initiatives to extend the grain deal, which expires on July 17, ensure peace in the region and provide humanitarian assistance [to Ukraine], as it has done previously," the Turkish MoD said in a Twitter post.

After invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia blockaded vital grain exports from key Ukrainian Black Sea ports, including Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi, which meant that millions of tons of Ukrainian grain were not being exported to the many countries that rely on it.

The impact of the war on global food markets was immediate and extremely painful, as Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market.

At the time, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned that as many as 47 million people could be pushed into “acute food insecurity” because of the war, and Western officials accused Russia of using food as a weapon.

The deal reached in July 2022 created procedures to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports and allowed exports to resume.