President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that it was necessary to facilitate peace with Ukraine before more lives are lost.
In a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Erdoğan highlighted the importance of peace and that he sincerely wants the agreement reached in Istanbul to be revived again. He added that Türkiye is ready to contribute in this regard.
Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports that were paused after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.
A Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) with officials from the three countries and the U.N. was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.
Ukraine said that broader negotiations on extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative that has allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports are expected this week.
The agreement was extended by an additional 120 days in November and is up for renewal again in March. Still, Russia has signaled it is unhappy with some aspects of the deal and has asked for sanctions affecting its agricultural exports to be lifted.
Erdoğan frequently says that Türkiye is ready to undertake the role of mediator for the facilitation of permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine.
On Friday, Erdoğan also spoke over the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the anniversary of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The two leaders also discussed developments regarding the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Erdoğan thanked Putin for Russia's solidarity during the disaster.
