Türkiye is working to broker a new agreement between Russia and Ukraine to restore safer grain shipments through the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Monday, warning that escalating attacks in the region are threatening both maritime security and global food supplies.
Speaking to journalists in Istanbul, Fidan said Ankara remained in contact with both Moscow and Kyiv and was seeking to establish conditions for an arrangement similar to the previous Black Sea grain initiative.
"We have prepared a proposal and are in contact with both sides," Fidan said. "As we did in the past, we hope to work toward an agreement similar to the grain deal if the necessary conditions emerge."
Fidan described deteriorating navigation security in the Black Sea as a major concern extending far beyond the countries directly involved in the Russia-Ukraine war.
"This continues to be a serious problem," he said, adding that disruptions preventing Russian and Ukrainian grain from reaching international markets were increasingly affecting global food security.
Türkiye has received appeals from several countries concerned about the disruption of grain supplies, Fidan said.
Russia and Ukraine are among the world's major wheat exporters, making uninterrupted Black Sea shipping particularly important for countries heavily dependent on imported grain. Prolonged disruptions could drive up prices and exacerbate food shortages, particularly in vulnerable countries in Africa and elsewhere.
Fidan also warned that the continuing war had become increasingly destructive as both sides developed new methods of targeting each other, leaving fewer areas and assets beyond the conflict's reach.
"The parties are constantly developing new methods, to the point where almost nothing remains outside the scope of targeting," he said, warning that the conflict was evolving from a war of attrition into an increasingly destructive confrontation.
He said Türkiye was continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation.
Ankara previously played a central role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative alongside the United Nations in 2022. The agreement enabled Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach international markets through designated Black Sea routes before Russia withdrew from the arrangement in 2023.
Renewed concerns over Black Sea navigation have intensified amid attacks on vessels and maritime infrastructure. Fidan called for restraint, warning that further escalation could deepen risks to commercial shipping and food supplies.
The issue is also expected to feature in talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.
Ukraine has backed efforts toward a renewed Black Sea cease-fire, while Russia has resisted recent proposals, arguing that revenue generated by Ukrainian exports could ultimately support Kyiv's military campaign.
Türkiye, which maintains diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kyiv, has repeatedly sought to mediate between the two sides while pushing for measures to safeguard commercial navigation and agricultural exports through the Black Sea.