Turkish President Erdogan wants to meet with Putin in September to discuss the grain deal
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who had hoped for a visit from Russian president Vladimir Putin in Ankara in August, is now planning a personal meeting with him in September on the sidelines of the G20 summit. "In September, there will be a G20 meeting in India. A meeting of the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled in the US. We will discuss the 'grain deal' with Mr. Putin if there is an opportunity due to our tight schedule," Erdogan said on August 21, answering questions from journalists accompanying him on his trip to Budapest, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan stated that it is important for him to achieve a "positive position from Russia regarding the grain corridor." The Turkish president also announced the upcoming visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Russia. "Discussing this issue face to face is significant. This way, we will be able to obtain a much more precise result," Erdogan said, emphasizing Turkey's role in mediating between Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba referred to Erdogan as the "only person in the world" who can convince Russia to return to the grain agreement, which allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports.
The German newspaper Bild reported earlier about a possible meeting in Hungary between Erdogan and a representative of Putin – the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov.