The grain deal between Moscow and Kyiv, following the efforts of the United Nations and Türkiye, could pave the way for further talks between the warring parties, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Wednesday.
"We still believe that the trust that we were able to build through the U.N. between the Russian and Ukrainian sides for a grain deal could, in fact, can work as a platform to restart or reinitiate the negotiations again," Kalın told an interview with CNN.
Türkiye, the U.N., Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal last month to resume grain exports from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Yuzhny, Chornomorsk and Odessa, which were halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its seventh month.
However, Kalın said any move forward requires not only the willingness of Russians and Ukrainians but also the support of the international community.
Türkiye remains "very much concerned" about any escalation of war and violence in Ukraine, Kalin said, adding Ankara is working "very hard" through different channels to bring the sides closer.
About the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, Kalın said the situation remains "very critical" there, adding: "We don't want to end up with another Chernobyl accident."
The U.N. said Tuesday that preparations are underway to send a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Russia-controlled nuclear power plant for inspection.
Kalın said the upcoming visit of the team will provide "some kind of a break or pause" in the tense situation around the plant, adding: "Of course, nobody wants to have a nuclear disaster."
He added that Türkiye is doing its best and called on the international community to support this initiative to secure the NPP, adding: "...but there is a lot of work to do there."
Kalın said Türkiye's position remains the same after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
"We never recognize the annexation of Crimea. It was not legal. It was not lawful. Crimea is legally and historically part of Ukraine," he said.
Kalın added that Türkiye supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, saying: "... any solution to this conflict will have to be reached on the basis of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
