Ukraine Seeks Turkey's Support for Safe Navigation in the Black Sea
Threatened by billions of dollars in agricultural exports, Ukraine has asked Ankara for help to overcome port restrictions and rescue maritime transport.
Ukraine has officially requested assistance from Turkey to restore safe navigation in the Black Sea after approximately $10 billion in agricultural exports were endangered due to restrictions on port operations.
Agricultural Exports Under Threat
According to statements by the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, current restrictions on port operations directly threaten about half of the country's agricultural exports.
This situation carries the risk of preventing 32 million tons of products valued at approximately $10 billion from reaching international markets.
Critical Contact at Ministerial Level
Following these developments, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi met with Turkey's Ambassador to Kyiv, Fatma Ceren Yazgan, to discuss the issue.
Alternative Routes Insufficient
Minister Vysotskyi warned that alternative routes used via the Danube River, railways, and highways cannot fully replace the disrupted maritime shipments.
Vysotskyi stated that if stable maritime transport through the Black Sea is not re-established, declines in production will emerge in the long term.
Ankara's Ceasefire and Protection Initiative
According to information provided by Turkey's Permanent Representative to NATO, Basat Öztürk, Ankara continues its contacts with Kyiv and Moscow to achieve a temporary and partial ceasefire in order to protect commercial vessels carrying civilian cargo.
Öztürk emphasized that attacks targeting commercial transportation seriously jeopardize the global energy, food, and fertilizer supply chain.