Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UN chief Guterres discuss Sudan and Black Sea grain deal

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss several pressing issues. According to a statement from the Turkish Communications Directorate, Erdogan emphasised the importance of extending the cross-border aid mechanism to Syria in July. The leaders also addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as recent developments in Syria and Sudan, as per a report from TRT World. 

During his phone call with UN Secretary-General (UNSC) Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country's willingness to serve as a mediator and facilitate peace talks between the parties involved in the conflict in Sudan. Erdogan stressed Turkey's ability to establish dialogue with both sides and work alongside the UN to help resolve their differences.

Black Sea grain deal was also discussed

In addition to discussing geopolitical issues, Erdogan and Guterres addressed economic matters with Erdogan underlining the importance of continuing the Black Sea grain deal. He further noted that Turkey is prepared to participate in a working group with an inter-institutional delegation, provided that an agreement is reached regarding the ammonia pipeline. Ankara has good relations with Russia and is also a member of NATO, which gives it leverage.

A look at UN's version of the talks

The UN said that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held discussions regarding the expansion and extension of the Black Sea grain deal, as well as the export of Russian food products and fertilisers. The UN confirmed that the two leaders exchanged views on how to ensure the continuation of these trade arrangements.

Notably, Russia has reportedly requested that any obstacles to the export of its fertilizer be removed before agreeing to another extension of the grain deal, which was originally signed in Istanbul last July between Turkey, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine. The agreement is set to expire on May 18th. As of now, it isn't clear if the Black Sea grain deal will be extended.