Erdoğan to hold phone calls with Putin and Zelensky on Sunday to discuss Black Sea grain deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that he will speak to Russia's Vladimir Putin on Sunday, and he will also speak to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in order to strengthen the U.N.-backed Black Sea grain deal.

Erdoğan was making a speech at a conference in Istanbul, to which Zelensky also spoke by video link.

Türkiye continues its efforts to solve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday, adding that towards this end he will soon have talks with his counterparts on both sides of the conflict.

"In order to resolve this crisis, I will have talks with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin on Sunday. Likewise, there will be one with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky," Erdoğan told the TRT World Forum in Istanbul.

Erdoğan said Türkiye wants to further strengthen the grain corridor deal Türkiye helped forge this summer, "and in Putin's words, to send (food) through this grain corridor to underdeveloped countries."

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a landmark agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been paused in February due to Russia's war on Ukraine.

Days before its scheduled expiration, the landmark grain deal was extended for another 120 days, beginning Nov. 19.

From the very beginning of the crisis, Erdoğan said Türkiye carried out intense diplomacy with the principle that there will be no winners in the war, adding that Türkiye has pioneered peace diplomacy that will set an example for the world.

"While strongly defending Ukraine's territorial integrity, we opposed fueling tension in the region with irrational policies toward Russia," Erdoğan added.

Turning to the fight against terrorism, Erdoğan slammed those countries-including some fellow NATO members-who support and send weapons to terrorist groups in northern Syria that threaten Türkiye as well as regional stability.

"Despite its sacrifices, Türkiye will never forget how it was forsaken in its fight against terrorist groups that pose a serious threat," he added.

The TRT World Forum 2022, a two-day annual event, started in Istanbul on Friday, held by Turkish national broadcaster TRT.

The gathering, held this year under the theme "Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities" brings together academics, journalists, intellectuals, politicians, and members of civil society from around the globe.