What’s at stake when Turkey’s chief meets Putin in a bid to reestablish the Black Sea grain deal

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Vladimir Putin on Monday, hoping to influence the Russian chief to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow broke off from in July.

Here are some key issues to know and what’s at stake:

The assembly in Sochi on Russia’s southern coast comes after weeks of hypothesis about when and the place the 2 leaders may meet.

Erdogan beforehand mentioned that Putin would journey to Turkey in August.

The Kremlin refused to resume the grain settlement six weeks in the past. The deal – brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 — had allowed almost 36 million tons of grain and different commodities to go away three Ukrainian ports safely regardless of Russia‘s battle.

However, Russia pulled out after claiming {that a} parallel deal promising to take away obstacles to Russian exports of meals and fertilizer hadn’t been honored.

PHOTOS: What’s at stake when Turkey’s chief meets Putin in a bid to reestablish the Black Sea grain deal

Moscow complained that restrictions on delivery and insurance coverage hampered its agricultural commerce, although it has shipped report quantities of wheat since final 12 months.

Since Putin withdrew from the initiative, Erdogan has repeatedly pledged to resume preparations that helped keep away from a meals disaster in components of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Ukraine and Russia are main suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and different items that growing nations depend on.

The Turkish president has maintained shut ties to Putin through the 18-month battle in Ukraine. Turkey hasn’t joined Western sanctions towards Russia following its invasion, rising as a principal buying and selling associate and logistical hub for Russia’s abroad commerce.

NATO member Turkey, nevertheless, has additionally supported Ukraine, sending arms, assembly Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and backing Kyiv’s bid to hitch NATO.

Erdogan angered Moscow in July when he allowed 5 Ukrainian commanders to return residence. The troopers had been captured by Russia and handed over to Turkey on situation they continue to be there at some stage in the battle.

Putin and Erdogan — each authoritarian leaders who’ve been in energy for greater than 20 years — are mentioned to have an in depth rapport, fostered within the wake of a failed coup towards Erdogan in 2016 when Putin was the primary main chief to supply his assist.

Traditional rivals Turkey and Russia grew nearer over the next years as commerce ranges rose they usually launched into joint initiatives such because the Turkstream gasoline pipeline and Turkey’s first nuclear energy plant. Ankara’s relations with Moscow have steadily alarmed its Western allies. The 2019 acquisition of Russian-made air protection missiles led to Washington kicking Turkey off the U.S.-led F-35 stealth fighter program.

Russia-Turkey relations in fields reminiscent of vitality, protection, diplomacy, tourism and commerce have flourished regardless of the nations being on opposing sides in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Since Erdogan’s reelection in May, Putin has confronted home challenges which will make him seem a much less dependable associate, most notably the short-lived armed revolt declared by late mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in June.

The Sochi summit follows talks between the Russian and Turkish overseas ministers on Thursday, throughout which Russia handed over a listing of actions that the West must take to ensure that Ukraine’s Black Sea exports to renew.

Erdogan has indicated sympathy with Putin’s place. In July, he mentioned Putin had “certain expectations from Western countries” over the Black Sea deal and that it was “crucial for these countries to take action in this regard.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres lately despatched Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “concrete proposals” aimed toward getting Russian exports to international markets and permitting the resumption of the Black Sea initiative. But Lavrov mentioned Moscow wasn’t glad with the letter.

Describing Turkey’s “intense” efforts to revive the settlement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned it was a “process that tries to better understand Russia’s position and requests, and to meet them.”

He added: “There are many issues ranging from financial transactions to insurance.”

___