Türkiye boosts diplomatic efforts to establish food corridor

Türkiye has seemingly accelerated its diplomatic efforts for making a food corridor from Ukraine to the world markets possible under a plan crafted by the United Nations. While a military delegation is holding talks with their Russian counterparts in Moscow, Türkiye will host defense and foreign secretaries of the United Kingdom on June 23 in the Turkish capital.

With concerns over a food crisis, especially in the underdeveloped nations, are growing due to the blockage of the export of millions of tons of grains in the Ukrainian ports and silos, Türkiye and the U.N. reiterate their efforts for overcoming the crisis.

In this regard, according to sources, a Turkish military delegation went to Moscow on June 21 and held talks with their Russian counterparts on June 22. Sources stressed that talks which focused on efforts to resume the commercial maritime navigation from the Ukrainian ports were "constructive and positive."

The parties have mutually developed an understanding for holding talks with the participation of Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the U.N. in the coming weeks. As a result of Turkish-Russian talks, a Turkish commercial vessel departed from the Mariupol port of Ukraine, which is now under Russian occupation.

The talks followed a phone conversation between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres earlier in the week in a bid to coordinate ongoing efforts to create a secure passage for the vessels carrying grain and other products to the world markets. Erdoğan spoke on the matter with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone late June 22 in which the two men addressed the concerns over a potential food crisis in the world.

President Erdoğan stressed that a solution must...