Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar warned Friday that the clock was ticking for the extension of the Black Sea grain deal, which was mediated by Türkiye and the U.N, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
Ankara is engaged in talks with both Russia and Ukraine to continue the agreement with conditions similar to the initial ones, Akar said during a visit to the flood-hit southeastern province of Sanliurfa.
He also reiterated Türkiye's wish for an end to the conflict and bloodshed, adding that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other ministers are making efforts to achieve a solution as soon as possible.
Ukraine insists on 120-day extension of Black Sea grain deal
Ukraine insists on a 120-day extension of an agreement allowing the safe export of grain from Black Sea ports, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday.
"We insist that the grain agreement be open-ended and automatically extended for 120 days," Shmyhal told a government meeting. "Attempts by the aggressor to reduce the extension period are a manipulation to continue further blackmail and deepen a global food crisis. We have to prevent this."
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia highly appreciates Erdogan's efforts for peace, as he said they only agreed to a 60-day extension.
"We highly appreciate Mr. Erdogan's efforts, his peacekeeping activities, his attempts to provide mediation services, and his attitude to the development of bilateral Russian-Turkish relations," Peskov said at a press briefing in Moscow, commenting on an idea to nominate the Turkish leader for the Nobel Peace Prize.