Erdogan: "Türkiye Strives to the Last Moment" Gulf | Putin | Türkiye
According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur on July 17, President Erdogan of Türkiye said that he believed that Russian President Putin still intended to renew the Black Sea food agreement and allow food exports from Ukraine.
Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul, "I believe Russian President Putin wants to continue this humanitarian bridge, despite the statement made by the Russian side today.". Erdogan refers to the announcement by the Russian side on the 17th that the Black Sea food agreement has expired and become invalid.
▲ Putin and Erdogan
According to the report, Erdogan said that he will hold talks with the Russian leader before Putin is expected to visit Türkiye in August. Erdogan made the above remarks before embarking on a Gulf trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Erdogan said that it is still possible to reach an agreement to maintain food exports before Putin's visit to Turkey in August.
According to the Tass News Agency, Erdogan said on the 17th that Türkiye was trying to save the Black Sea Food Agreement "until the last moment", and called it a diplomatic achievement recorded in history.
![Erdogan: "Türkiye Strives to the Last Moment" Gulf | Putin | Türkiye](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/2e26033c91fc18b05d1939c11ef4cd63.jpg)
He said: "The Black Sea Initiative has been recorded in history as a diplomatic achievement. Thanks to its implementation, more than 33 million tons of agricultural products have been shipped out, thus preventing the food crisis. Türkiye has been trying to save the food agreement until the last moment."
Erdogan also stated that he plans to have a phone call with Russian President Putin after visiting Gulf countries.
Erdogan said, "I will meet with the respected Mr. Putin after my Gulf trip ends. When we meet in August, we will also discuss this topic and discuss how to take action to eliminate obstacles to Russia's food exports."
According to Reuters, Erdogan also said that Türkiye and Russia will discuss the food agreement on the 17th. Erdogan said that he still hopes to make progress on this issue after Moscow stated that it will suspend participation in the agreement. He said, "I hope that through this discussion, we can make some progress and keep the relevant processes from stalling."