Turkiye’s Erdogan urges Russia and Ukraine to stop Black Sea attacks

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea, as he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to work on a new grain corridor through the waterway.

Erdogan made the remarks on Saturday at a joint news conference with Zelenskyy in Istanbul, saying attacks on civilian vessels were unacceptable, regardless of who carried them out.

“It is clear that attacks against civilian vessels and actions that further escalate tensions in the Black Sea serve no one’s interests,” Erdogan said.

“We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered,” he said, adding, “We call on all parties to act responsibly on this matter.”

Turkiye, which maintains relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, has expressed concern over the attacks on commercial shipping. Ankara has sent Russia and Ukraine a proposal to end the strikes but says neither side has acted on it.

The talks came on the same day US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was growing international interest in a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea to secure grain and energy shipments by both countries.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of making the situation in the Black Sea difficult, saying a significant part of his discussions with Erdogan focused on security in the region.

“Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Turkiye supported efforts to ensure safe navigation and restore normal living conditions.

He thanked Erdogan for the dialogue, saying the two leaders had discussed proposals that could help improve the situation. Erdogan said talks on restoring safe navigation would continue.

“I believe that reaching an agreement on this issue would also give fresh impetus to efforts to secure lasting peace in Ukraine,” Erdogan said.

Rubio said the US was reviewing proposals from Turkiye and India to get grain shipments moving, describing the situation as a threat to global food and energy security.

“This is threatening the world for food security and some energy security as well,” Rubio told a news conference in Atlanta, Georgia, after a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting. “We’d like to achieve it. It doesn’t solve the war, but at least it solves a unique aspect of it.”

Erdogan also welcomed renewed efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy, particularly US President Donald Trump’s initiative, saying there could be no losers in a just peace.

Turkiye has hosted several rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire and peace agreement. Erdogan said the discussions had shown that “tangible results can be achieved through diplomacy”.

In a phone call with Trump on Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkiye was ready to support efforts to revive the diplomatic process and end the war, according to the Turkish president’s office.

The Kremlin said last week that the next round of talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the US was expected to resume in November in the United Arab Emirates.

Zelenskyy said he discussed the proposed format with Erdogan, alongside other options involving Turkiye, Europe and other partners, as well as the possibility of holding a meeting in Turkiye.

“Strong decisions are needed for there to be peace,” he said. “And it is necessary at all levels to send signals to Russia that there is no alternative to peace and that support for Ukraine will continue.”

Credit: Aljazeera