Istanbul: Zelensky and Erdogan agree to work on a Black Sea grain corridor

Agreement at Dolmabahçe

President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Saturday, 31 October, to work on restoring the grain corridor and shipping safety in the Black Sea. Zelensky announced it at a joint press conference at the Dolmabahçe office in Istanbul, Ukrainska Pravda and hromadske reported, citing Yevropeiska Pravda.

“Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor. Our goal is to make sure this corridor continues to exist and works effectively,” Zelensky said. He noted that Russia has worsened security in the Black Sea through its aggression since 2014, while Türkiye “consistently supports our sovereignty and territorial integrity” and steps that can protect safe navigation. He also pointed out that the meeting coincided with International Black Sea Day.

Erdogan: attacks on civilian ships are unacceptable

Erdogan said that, amid the escalation, the fighting has spilled over into the Black Sea, according to Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications. “We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered. We call on all parties to act responsibly on this matter,” he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

The Turkish leader promised to continue talks with the parties, including Russia, on restoring safe navigation. An agreement on this, he said, would give “fresh impetus” to efforts to secure lasting peace in Ukraine. Erdogan also recalled that a Ukraine–Türkiye free trade agreement signed in 2022 entered into force on 1 October and named a trade target of $10 billion.

International interest in a maritime ceasefire

The Black Sea also came up at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta. According to Al Jazeera, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the same day that there is growing international interest in a limited Black Sea ceasefire to secure grain and energy shipments by both countries.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told ZDF that the safety of grain shipments was one of the central topics in Atlanta. “We will not solve the Ukrainian conflict as a whole, but we must make it possible to transport grain from Ukraine and Russia to the countries of the Global South,” he said, adding that a result could be reached “in the coming weeks”.

Talks in Türkiye?

The presidents also discussed preparations for trilateral Ukraine–US–Russia talks. “We discussed the prospects of this format and other possibilities, including bringing in Türkiye and Europe, all partners, and the possibility of meeting here, in Türkiye,” Zelensky said, stressing that Russia must be shown there is no alternative to peace.

Meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew

In Istanbul Zelensky also met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, congratulated him on the 35th anniversary of his enthronement, which falls on 2 November, and told him about the humanitarian operation in Oleshky. In an interview with journalist Tony Perkins the same day, the president said Russia has killed about 120 members of the clergy and that about 800 religious buildings have been destroyed or damaged.

What next

No concrete parameters of a new grain mechanism — routes, guarantees or inspections — have been announced yet. The next step depends on Ankara’s consultations with Moscow and on whether a maritime ceasefire can be fitted into the broader negotiating track.