The revival of the Black Sea grain deal was on the main agenda in Türkiye's diplomatic efforts on the sidelines of the 78th General Assembly in New York, its foreign minister said Friday.
Hakan Fidan said at a news conference during a visit to Muğla province in southern Türkiye that the Russia-Ukraine war was at the forefront of several diplomatic meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York. He said the war had the potential to disrupt trade in the Black Sea region.
Türkiye is putting significant efforts to somehow stop the war or to provide services in the name of humanity, he said.
"Stopping the war is, of course, our top priority because it is causing significant harm to the region and the world," he said.
He added the suspension of the Black Sea grain initiative does not affect only the region but also concerns all of humanity, especially Africa.
"Last year, under the leadership of our president, negotiations had resolved this issue. This year, we are continuing our efforts on this matter," he said.
Amid efforts to continue Ukrainian agricultural exports after the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal in July, Kyiv and its partners have been looking for land routes to reach world markets from the war-ravaged country.
Russia refused to extend the grain deal, complaining that the West had not met its obligations and that there were still restrictions on its own food and fertilizer exports. Moscow was particularly critical of the restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance.
Last year, the UN and Türkiye brokered the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to ship grain via the Black Sea and succeeded in bringing down global food prices.
Regarding Azerbaijan's anti-terror operation in Karabakh, Fidan pointed out that after the cease-fire agreement in November 2020 in the region, Azerbaijan had been patiently waiting for the Armenian entity in Karabakh to recognize its sovereignty.
"However, this did not happen. The Azerbaijani brothers conducted the process in a very mature manner. They attended all the meeting invitations extended to them, in the US, France, Belgium, and Moscow, and they spoke everywhere," he said.
Azerbaijan had two concerns, said Fidan: Resolving the issue of sovereignty in Karabakh and settling the Zangezur corridor matter.
"However, for some reason, no progress was made on these fronts," he said.
Azerbaijan specifically made the removal of armed groups in Karabakh, which was the primary obstacle to sovereignty, their top priority, said Fidan, adding that they implemented this successfully.
Armenians have begun the process of integrating into normal life under the constitutional citizenship of Azerbaijan, he said.
"We accept that this is a challenging process, but we believe it will be completed without any loss of human life, drama, or further tragedy," he added.
