‘Türkiye continues to have close contacts with Ukraine, Russia’

Türkiye will maintain close contact with both Ukraine and Russia to achieve peace in the region, the country’s communications director has said.

“The scope and content of the (grain export) agreement signed in Istanbul are clear. Of course, all parties are expected to take the steps to ensure the complete implementation of this agreement in a timely manner. As we have done so far, Türkiye will be in close contact with both Ukraine and Russia,” Fahrettin Altun said in an interview with Spanish daily El Mundo, published on Thursday.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul last week to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny – for grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.

Under the deal, a Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul was formed to carry out inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Türkiye will mobilize its influence in the region to ensure peace and stability, Altun said.

“I don’t think diplomacy has ever been easy. Of course, it is much more difficult to make diplomatic contacts during the war. The states have different priorities and perspectives. The important thing was to find a common ground and prevent crises that threaten the whole world. Overall, we appreciate that Ukraine and Russia as sovereign states supported this initiative,” he added.

Altun also hailed Türkiye’s mediation role between Moscow and Kyiv, saying no NATO country had ever succeeded in brokering such a historic deal between the two countries.

“Turkey’s success is also recorded in NATO’s name. Since the beginning of the crisis, we have focused on extinguishing the fire in our region,” he added.

Altun said Türkiye is a country that can talk to both Russia and Ukraine during the war period, adding: “Therefore, we expect all states, especially our NATO allies, to support our diplomatic efforts.”