Turkey Proposes New Black Sea Grain Corridor Deal to Russia and Ukraine Amid Rising Attacks
Turkey has presented a new draft memorandum to Russia and Ukraine aimed at stopping attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea. This proposal, confirmed by a Turkish diplomat to AFP, seeks to establish a secure grain corridor, drawing inspiration from the 2022 agreement that facilitated the safe export of Ukrainian grain. The core of the new initiative involves utilizing the territorial waters of coastal states, including Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Turkey, with their consent, to ensure ships can traverse the entire route without entering international waters. This move comes in response to a significant increase in drone attacks on merchant vessels; industry sources indicate at least 25 ships linked to Turkish owners have been affected since late June, with four sailing under the Turkish flag. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously called for a moratorium on attacks against civilian ships on August 8, but this appeal did not yield a practical response from either party. The proposal has been ...
