Turkey Races to Reopen Black Sea Grain Corridor Amid Global Food Price Threat

Turkey is escalating diplomatic efforts to reopen the Black Sea grain corridor, which has been disrupted due to attacks on commercial vessels. The corridor's closure has caused a significant increase in global food prices, with grain prices rising by 4-4.5%.

Civilian shipping in the Black Sea has effectively come to a standstill, leading to a major grain storage crisis in both Ukraine and Russia. In Ukraine, between 30 million and 35 million tons of grain and oilseeds are stuck in silos and temporary storage facilities, while nearly 60 million tons have accumulated at port elevators in Russia.

Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are maintaining continuous contacts with Kyiv and Moscow to establish a new security mechanism. However, Turkish Deputy Transport Minister Durmuş Ünüvar stated that there is still no clear timeline for reaching an agreement.