Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun: "Türkiye is a country that is able to communicate with both Russia and Ukraine and is trusted by both Ukrainians and Russians during this time of war. Under our President's leadership, Türkiye is no longer a country that sits on the sidelines and watches events unfold in the international arena or plays the role assigned to it."
Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun spoke to El Mundo, one of Spain's leading newspapers, addressing questions on the Agreement on Grain Shipment from Ukrainian Ports signed by Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations (UN) under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
When asked what the future of the grain shipment agreement would be given the recent events in the wake of Russia's strike, Director of Communications Altun voiced his belief that the attack near the Port of Odesa would not impede the implementation of the grain shipment agreement.
Director of Communications Altun noted that there were no issues caused by the attack that prevented the ships from being loaded and stated that they would continue to perform their obligations.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the scope and content of the agreement signed in İstanbul are definite and that all parties are expected to take the necessary steps to ensure the timely and complete implementation of the agreement, adding, "As we have done so far, we will continue to maintain close contact with both Ukraine and Russia."
When asked if the possibility of new attacks on ports or ships could drive up insurance costs and harm product prices and what Türkiye could do to prevent this, Director of Communications Altun said that since the start of the war in Ukraine, and even before it started, Türkiye has worked to build peace and stability in the region as a country that can communicate with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Director of Communications Altun stated, "An agreement was signed that led to a significant decrease in wheat prices as a result of the personal interactions our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had with the relevant leaders, particularly with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. As it has thus far, Türkiye will continue to use its regional influence to ensure peace and stability in the upcoming era."
Noting that the agreement signed in İstanbul prevented a global food crisis, the Director of Communications Altun pointed out that a compromise on this matter does not mean that the war conditions in Ukraine have vanished.
Director of Communications Altun stated that they must guarantee the security of the ships carrying grain from Ukraine and ensure they are transferred to the rest of the world after passing the necessary checks.
"We have focused on putting out the smouldering fire in our region"
When it is stressed that since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Türkiye has taken a different stance from its NATO allies, Director of Communications Altun noted:
"First and foremost, we should remember that Türkiye has made significant contributions to NATO for 70 years and that our army is the second largest in NATO. NATO is a structure that we are proud to be a member of since it enables us to contribute to world peace alongside our allies, such as Spain, and it is much more than just an international organisation for us. It's also vital to note that when Türkiye achieves diplomatic success, such as the grain agreement, it is also considered a success of a NATO member state. In other words, Türkiye's achievement is also documented in NATO's name. Since the beginning of the crisis, we have focused on putting out the smouldering fire in our region. We have been and are still working toward "a fair peace," in the words of our President. Türkiye is a country that is able to communicate with both Russia and Ukraine and is trusted by both Ukrainians and Russians during this time of war. Under our President's leadership, Türkiye is no longer a country that sits on the sidelines and watches events unfold in the international arena or plays the role assigned to it. Therefore, we anticipate all states, particularly our NATO allies, to back our diplomatic efforts."
"We are honoured to have a role in eliminating a genuine issue"
Director of Communications Altun explained that there are those who seek to end the war in Ukraine and those who use this war to secure their own geopolitical interests, stating that Türkiye has expressed its support for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty from the very beginning.
Director of Communications Altun stated, “Meanwhile, we halted the transit of war vessels through the Straits in compliance with the Montreux Convention. On the other hand, we observe that certain states are attempting to prolong this war as far as possible so as to weaken Russia. Our President conveyed Türkiye’s viewpoint in İstanbul. Accordingly, we believe that there is no victor in this war and that it is essential to seek a fair peace.”
Director of Communications Altun underlined that the governments and peoples of Russia and Ukraine have confidence in Türkiye with regards to mediation efforts and added:
“It is no secret that Türkiye has not been the only nation to seek a mediating role during the past few months. In my perspective, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leader-to-leader diplomacy has been Türkiye's biggest benefit. The meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, followed by a meeting between the delegations of the two countries in İstanbul, and the subsequent signing of the Grain Shipment Agreement, are not coincidental events.
While everyone expresses ‘concern’ on social media, someone must assume responsibility and seek actual solutions to actual problems. In recent years, we have sadly witnessed foreign policy and public diplomacy being confused with one another. However, self-promoting and influencing the trajectory of the real world are two distinct things. Statesmanship and diplomacy are about the development of effective solutions rather than flaunting. If there is to be no famine in East Africa and many other regions of the world, and if no one is to pay outrageous prices for food, it will be because of the people who do the work, not those who are self-promoters. As Türkiye, we are honoured to have a role in eliminating a genuine issue."
"We have seen our President's success in leader-to-leader diplomacy again in this process"
Director of Communication Altun noted that diplomacy has never been simple and that it is even more difficult to maintain diplomatic contacts when the war is ongoing and said: "Obviously, the states have different priorities and perspectives. The most important thing was to find common ground and avoid a global crisis. After all, we appreciate Ukraine and Russia's support for this initiative as sovereign states."
Underscoring the importance of leader-to-leader diplomacy, Director of Communications Altun expressed that it is important that the heads of state of both Russia and Ukraine view President Erdoğan as a trustworthy leader. Director of Communications Altun added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also played an essential role in this process.
When asked, "Does Türkiye remain confident about the possibility of new agreements by widening the existing dialogue based on its expertise in mediating between Ukrainians and Russians?" Altun said:
"Obviously, it is up to Ukraine and Russia, both of which are sovereign states, to achieve an agreement on various issues. But, I would like to reiterate that Türkiye is in favour of dialogue and fair peace. For many years, we have felt the terrible repercussions of the humanitarian crises and conflicts in Syria and Iraq. That is why we place such a premium on the stability of the Black Sea region. In this process, we have once again seen the significance of our President's success in leader-to-leader diplomacy, as well as the fact that he has transformed Türkiye into an actor over the last 20 years. As a result, we are resolved to keep up our constructive efforts."