The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, on September 24 and deemed the attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea as inexcusable. Erdogan emphasized that actions must be taken to stop these attacks.
Turkey's Efforts for Peace
Turkey, as a NATO member, has established good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv and has consistently urged both parties involved to refrain from attacks in the Black Sea. During this meeting, Erdogan announced that Turkey is ready to make every effort to end the Ukraine-Russia war and stressed the continuation of efforts to revive direct negotiations.
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The President of Turkey stated: "A step must be taken towards maritime safety in the Black Sea, and attacks on commercial ships are inexcusable. We expect both parties to act responsibly."
Economic Consequences and the Need for Food Security
Ankara has announced that it has sent proposals to Ukraine and Russia to stop the attacks. Some of these attacks have harmed Turkish-owned ships and resulted in the deaths of citizens of this country. The country also emphasized that a solution must be found to ensure the safe shipment of grains from this region.
Zelensky also stated at a "Crimea Platform" meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Kyiv is ready to achieve a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea based on proposals put forth by countries such as Egypt, India, and Turkey.
Major wheat-importing countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa that depend on the Black Sea region are facing challenges in securing this product, and global wheat prices have surged significantly.
Turkey and the United Nations collaborated in the summer of 2022 on the Black Sea Grain Initiative to enable the safe export of Ukrainian grains amid the war, but Russia withdrew from this agreement last year, citing serious obstacles to its exports.
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