Zelensky and Erdogan discuss “grain corridor”

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the full-scale invasion of russia and the problem of exporting grain from Ukraine.

It is reported by European Pravda with reference to the Turkish president's office.

During the conversation between Erdogan and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian-russian war and the creation of safe corridors for grain export in the Black Sea were discussed.

Erdogan emphasized that he wanted peace to come to Ukraine and said that Turkey continued to work on the UN-developed plan to supply Ukrainian grain products to the world market.

The Turkish leader said that the resolution of the war between Ukraine and Russia "will be a diplomatic way in any case" and assured that Ankara was ready to offer any support, including facilitation and mediation, within the Istanbul process.

Erdogan also thanked the Ukrainian president for the greetings he expressed in Turkish in a video message on the occasion of Kurban Bayram.

According to Turkish defence ministry, the problem of organizing the so-called "grain corridor" for the export of Ukrainian products through the Black Sea is close to being solved.

Earlier, Erdogan emphasized that they had about 20 ships in the region ready to take grain from Ukraine. Turkey will continue to ensure the unloading and delivery of products to third countries.

To recap:

russia is blocking the Black Sea. Because of this, Ukraine cannot export its food by sea. russia also accuses the West of raising food prices due to sanctions against it.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Senik said that during the naval blockade of russia, Ukraine has established two channels for grain exports: through Poland and Romania. Ukraine is also negotiating with the Baltic states.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that his country had offered to contribute to resolving the global food crisis caused by russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports.

As Rubryka reported, on July 3, Turkey detained a ship with Ukrainian grain that left the port of occupied Berdiansk under the flag of the russian federation.

On July 6, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine officially appealed to Turkey for help in investigating three russian vessels that may have transported stolen Ukrainian grain.

The letter states that the ships departed from the main grain terminal of the occupied Crimea in Sevastopol in April and May.

Kyiv is asking Ankara to provide documentation about their cargo and the time it arrived at Turkish ports.

Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar named Turkey among the countries that buy Ukrainian grain stolen by russia.