ISTANBUL, July 20. /TASS/. Russian members have left the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul following Moscow’s withdrawal from the grain deal, the TRT TV channel reported on Thursday, citing sources in the Turkish Defense Ministry.

According to the media outlet, the Turkish Defense Ministry expects that the grain deal will be restored. The sources also said that Turkey would ensure the Joint Coordination Center’s operation for the duration of initiatives aimed at extending the deal as there were "enough staff members."

When asked about the prospects for transporting agricultural exports following the closure of the Black Sea humanitarian corridor, ministry officials stressed that Ankara "sees no alternative to the grain corridor." "As our president said, we support the extension of the initiative, which has been recognized as useful across the world. In this regard, we maintain consultations with all the parties," TRT quoted a Turkish Defense Ministry official as saying.

According to Turkey, over 33 mln metric tons of agricultural goods were exported from Ukrainian ports to 45 countries during the implementation of the grain deal. Export activities involved over 1,000 vessels.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier announced that the Black Sea humanitarian corridor would be terminated following the suspension of the grain deal, and all ships traveling to Ukrainian ports would be considered potential carriers of military-purpose cargoes starting from 12:00 a.m. Moscow time on July 20, 2023.