Zelenskyy and Erdogan agree to work on Black Sea grain corridor after Istanbul talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Saturday to work together on a Black Sea grain corridor, after talks in Istanbul. The aim is to get grain moving safely through the Black Sea again, after months of attacks on commercial ships.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Erdogan said attacks on civilian ships were unacceptable, whoever carried them out. “We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered,” he said. He said Türkiye would keep talking to both sides to restore safe shipping.

Zelenskyy said a large part of the talks focused on security in the Black Sea. “Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor,” he said, adding that the goal was for the corridor to “exist and be effective.” No details of how the corridor would work, or when it would start, were announced.

The meeting came days after a Liberian-flagged container ship was hit by drones in the Black Sea on 28 October. On the same day as the Istanbul talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more countries were backing a limited ceasefire at sea to protect grain and energy shipments.

Why it matters

Grain from Ukraine and Russia feeds millions of people around the world, and the Black Sea is one of the main routes it travels by. When ships are attacked, exports slow down and food prices rise, hitting poorer countries hardest. Türkiye helped broker the original Black Sea grain deal in 2022, which Russia left in 2023, so Ankara is one of the few countries trusted by both sides to try again.

What happens next

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was preparing for three-way talks with the United States and Russia in the first half of November, and that Türkiye was discussed as a possible place to hold them. Erdogan said he would continue contacts with Moscow about restoring safe navigation. For now, though, there is no agreed plan, date or guarantee for the corridor, so ships in the Black Sea remain at risk.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://234radio.com/turkiyes-erdogan-urges-russia-and-ukraine-to-stop-black-sea-attacks/ (234Radio, republishing Al Jazeera, 31 October 2026)
• https://www.azernews.az/region/266582.html (AzerNews, 31 October 2026)
• https://www.europesays.com/turkiye/67460/ (Europe Says, 31 October 2026)