BY DAILY SABAH WITH AGENCIES
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held phone calls with Ukrainian officials on Tuesday, media outlets reported, amid a snag in the grain deal brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations. Hulusi Akar told his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov and Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov that grain shipments are “entirely a humanitarian activity” and should be separated from conflict conditions.
Ministers evaluated the latest situation on the grain deal, which ensured the shipment of about 10 million tons of grain so far through the Turkish straits. Akar highlighted that sustainability of the grain deal was essential as it made a major contribution to resolving the global food crisis and proved that “problems can be solved through cooperation and dialogue.” He underlined that the Black Sea corridor was far more feasible in terms of speed for grain shipments. He also emphasized that Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were ready to do whatever they could, as they did in the past, to ensure peace in the region and the flow of humanitarian assistance.