ISTANBUL, August 28. /TASS/. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan may offer using Turkey’s territory as a transit country for supplies of Russian agriculture products to other states at the planned talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a source in local transport circles told TASS, adding that such a proposal may catch Russia’s interest.
"The sides are discussing a project on supplies of Russian wheat to Turkey, its processing into flour and subsequent supplies to poor African states. A proposal on using Turkey as a transit country for Russian agriculture products may be added to this structure. It may catch the interest of the Russian side and facilitate its return to the grain deal," he explained.
That said, Russia should see the West’s readiness to cooperate in satisfying its requirements on lifting barriers on the way of exports of grain and fertilizers, the source added.
A meeting between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey may be held in early September in Sochi, a diplomatic source in Turkey said earlier. The information has not been officially confirmed yet.
The Black Sea Initiative grain deal was a set of agreements reached in Istanbul in July 2022 for ensuring a safe corridor for ships carrying Ukrainian grain as well as Russian agricultural exports. After several extensions, it was terminated on July 17 at Russia’s initiative when Moscow notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN of its objections to further extending the deal after July 18. Putin pointed out earlier that the Russia-related provisions of the deal were never implemented, despite the United Nations’ efforts, and the bulk of Ukrainian grain exports had gone to wealthy Western countries, contrary to the original intent of the deal to provide grain to needy countries, particularly in Africa. Still, Moscow stated that it was ready to promptly resume the grain deal once its Russia-related provisions were implemented.