Erdoğan proposes renewed grain initiative to Putin

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he made a new proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for shipping the Russian grain to Africa and other parts of the world through Türkiye during their meeting in Astana.

"I have asked him his opinion about launching a new process for delivering grain to Africa and other countries sensitively important in terms of food security, without considering Europe as a destination, through a corridor to be set via Türkiye," Erdoğan told journalists on board his return flight from Astana on July 5.

Erdogan said that Putin remains loyal to the goals of the Istanbul grain initiative. "It would be beneficial for us to develop this," he stated, recalling more than 30 million tons of grain had been shipped to the world markets through the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The Turkish president stressed that Putin does not want to send the Russian grain to Europe but is positive about doing so for African countries. "That's why we will continue our talks to this end," he said, expressing hope for the revival of the grain corridor.

"This battle benefits neither Russia nor Ukraine. The only winners of the war are the merchants of blood and death. I want to believe that tensions can now be reduced and ground for peace can be built. We are ready to do our part, as we have done until today, to create and protect that ground," he said.

 Invitation to Assad 

On a question, Erdoğan said he already underlined that Türkiye was ready to start talks with Syria for normalizing ties after a decade of coldness.

"With Mr. Putin, we may extend an invitation to [Syrian President] Bashar Assad. If Mr. Putin can organize a visit to Türkiye, it can mark the beginning of a new process [for Türkiye...