ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions on Monday, taking place in the picturesque Russian city of Sochi.
Erdogan’s visit to Sochi, which is set to be a one-day working visit, comes in response to a personal invitation extended by President Putin, as officially confirmed by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
The scheduled meeting between the two leaders will encompass a comprehensive review of the broad spectrum of bilateral relations between Türkiye and Russia. Moreover, they will delve into in-depth deliberations on current regional and global issues of mutual concern.
This visit by President Erdogan follows more than a month since Moscow decided to suspend an agreement that had facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain to global markets amid the ongoing 18-month conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Türkiye has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a vital program that had been instrumental in delivering grain and essential food supplies to regions including Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where the threat of hunger has been escalating. This initiative, which was backed predominantly by Türkiye, had been secured with the backing of the United Nations in July 2022. The diplomatic efforts leveraged Türkiye’s constructive rapport with both Moscow and Kyiv, resulting in the only significant agreement struck between the two sides amidst the conflict.
Notably, the Black Sea Grain Initiative enabled Ukraine to export grain and food commodities through three Black Sea ports. Concurrently, a separate memorandum brokered between the UN and Russia during the same period pledged to overcome impediments to Moscow’s shipments of food and fertilizer to global markets. However, Moscow decided to discontinue these agreements in mid-July, asserting that its terms and conditions had not been met.
Turkish Foreign Minister’s Visit to Moscow
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had embarked on a diplomatic mission to Moscow last week, engaging in talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Fidan emphasized the critical importance of reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, particularly from the standpoint of global food security.
In response, Lavrov conveyed a list of prerequisites that would need to be fulfilled by Western nations to resume the flow of Ukrainian grain and fertilizer exports. Talks between President Erdogan and Putin hold the potential to facilitate progress toward resolving these outstanding issues.
Türkiye has positioned itself as a potential mediator for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, maintaining a stance against Russia’s invasion while also expressing concerns about the Western-imposed sanctions on Moscow.
President Erdogan’s rapport with President Putin has played a pivotal role in brokering prisoner exchanges between the conflicting parties. Erdogan has consistently called upon Western countries to consider Russia’s demands and anticipates that his upcoming discussions with Putin may lead to the reinstatement of the Black Sea initiative.
Despite alternative routes for Ukrainian exports being advocated by Ukraine and some Western states, Türkiye has voiced opposition on the grounds of safety. The Turkish government advocates for Western acceptance of some Russian demands and the abandonment of others, with the objective of resuming Ukrainian grain exports under the auspices of the United Nations and Türkiye.
