When Russia suspended its participation in the landmark grain agreement last week, citing allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack against its Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol, the alarm bells were ringing.
Many, especially in those countries where the vulnerability is high such as in African nations, including Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan, could suffer from famine if that would be a long-term decision. However, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan intervened and the problem seems to be solved for the moment. A major crisis that could affect millions of people on Earth is hindered once again thanks to Türkiye and United Nations mediation.
On Wednesday, with Türkiye’s mediation, Russia was convinced to return to the table but it was not easy. Russia wanted some guarantees and Ankara and the U.N. worked to bring the sides together convincing Ukraine to give the guarantees and Moscow to calm.
Ukraine pledged to never use the shipping corridor for military operations. Another point was the guarantee given to Russia that the supply chain will not end only in Western countries but African countries would be prioritized, which is a good gain for the U.N. and Türkiye brokered agreement thanks to Ankara's mediation efforts.
Following the crisis calming, the prices of wheat, soybeans, corn and rapeseed fell sharply on global markets. Grain prices dropped by 6%, which had increased when Russia dropped out of the deal. This crisis also showed that being able to talk to both sides in this war is crucial and that again Türkiye is the only country to have built this relationship with both Russia and Ukraine. That is why Ukrainian President Vlodymr Zekenskyy said, “We will continue in accordance with the agreement between the U.N. and Türkiye on the Black Sea grain agreement.” That is also why Russian President Vladimir Putin commented that “Erdoğan is a leader who keeps his word. Coming to terms with him can be tough. However, after agreeing and shaking hands, he stands by his promise. Choosing Türkiye as a new distribution center for natural gas also depends on this.”
So all in all, we can say that Erdoğan’s diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis is a definite success, which all the parties agree upon. This diplomacy gives Ankara power over energy routes and priority in the international arena.
Actually, Türkiye’s path since the Ukraine-Russia war started has always been a consistent and independent one. While the West antagonized Moscow bitterly, cut all ties and put embargoes on almost everything from Russia, Türkiye stayed in touch with both parties, which gave it a unique position. That is why the country is not affected by the gas crisis that Europe is experiencing and has become the bridge between Russia and the West.
Now, Europe is seeking to change its policy. While the European Union urged Russia to reverse the decision to suspend its participation in the landmark agreement, some EU nations such as the Netherlands decided to lift some embargoes on Russian products and other nations will start to ease the strict “no dialogue” policy.
On the other hand, Russia should not feel victorious in this war. Therefore, Europe needs Türkiye’s balance and pace to adapt its policy. Ukraine should be helped and protected since civilians are dying with bombardments but people in the West should also be protected from the cold winter and skyrocketing energy prices. Türkiye can show the balance.
