Source: Ankara warns of food price jump if Black Sea tensions escalate

ANKARA, Sep 1 (PRIME) – Turkey has warned its Western partners about the risks of a strong food price growth if tensions in the Black Sea escalate, a source participating in the grain deal negotiations told PRIME.

"We have warned our Western partners about that (the risk of price rise). The U.N. has repeatedly warned about this in its statements as well. The risks are very high now that we see escalation of tension in the region, where the food is transported," the source said.

Turkey’s proposals to Russia to resume the grain deal do not guarantee Moscow's return, and big efforts must be made to remove difficulties in Russian food exports, the negotiator said. Russia demands guarantees of fulfillment of its conditions, the source said refusing to elaborate.

Ankara is informed about an alternative grain export route across the Danube and expressed concern about its safety.

Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the U.N. coordinated the Black Sea Grain Initiative that encompassed exports of Ukrainian grain and food through the Black Sea ports in July 2022.

Moscow left the deal on July 18, 2023. President Vladimir Putin said in August that Russia was ready to return to the grain deal in case of switching the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT.

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