Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday in an apparent bid to convince the latter to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal which was terminated from Moscow's end in July.
The meeting will take place oin Sochi in Russia's eastern coast after weeks of speculation over the location. Erdogan previously said that Putin will visit Turkey in August.
Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, claiming that the promises of removing obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer have not been honoured. Since then, Erdogan has repeatedly persuaded Putin to renew agreements that helped a food crisis in Africa, Middle East and Asia.
Interestingly, Erdogan has maintained close ties with the Russian President by refraining from joining the western sanctions aimed at Moscow following the invasion in Ukraine last year. However, Turkey has also supported Ukraine by sending arms, meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and supporting its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Russia-Turkey relations
Russia and Turkey have been rivals for a long time, but have grown closer over recent years as trade levels increased. Together, they have coordinated in initiatives such as the Turkstream gas pipeline and Turkiye's first nuclear power plant. Under Erdogan's presidency, Turkey has become Russia's main trading partners and logistical hub for overseas trade.
However, things between the two countries hit a snag when Erdogan allowed five Ukrainian commanders to return home, angering Moscow. The soldiers had been captured by Russia and handed over to Turkiye on condition they remain there for the duration of the war.
Russia-Turkey relations in fields such as energy, defense, diplomacy, tourism and trade have flourished despite the countries being on opposing sides in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Erdogan has also expressed sympathy with Putin's position, saying that he had "certain expectations from Western countries" over the Black Sea deal and called on them to take action.
Describing Ankara's “intense” efforts to revive the agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was a “process that tries to better understand Russia's position and requests, and to meet them.
Why did Russia terminate the deal?
Russia's decision to halt the "crucial" grain deal that allows the movement of agricultural goods from Ukraine to other countries will pose a threat to African nations which are already facing unprecedented crises of grains and other agricultural products, especially wheat.
It is worth mentioning Russia and Ukraine account for major wheat export to the world, especially African nations. It exports shipments through the Black Sea. However, following the relentless war, Moscow blocked the route, resulting in spiralling costs of wheat, cereals and other agricultural products.
This also showcased the worst impact on African nations. In fact, several countries were on the verge of starvation. In April 2022, the Secretary-General met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to propose the plan. Subsequently, on July 27 last year, United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal in Istanbul which was dubbed a "grain deal".
Despite mounting pressure, Russia has said that it would not resume the Black Sea grain deal in the near future. Last month, during the BRICS Business Forum, Putin threatened to cut off Ukraine's grain exports permanently and said that the deal would not be resumed until his conditions - the easing of restrictions on Russian food and agricultural products - are met.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Office has reacted sharply to the development and called it a "violation of international norms" and argued that "the Black Sea is not Russia's internal waters and is not subject to its jurisdiction".
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “concrete proposals” aimed at getting Russian exports to global markets and allowing the resumption of the Black Sea initiative. However, Lavrov said that Moscow was not satisfied with the letter.
(with agency input)
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