Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the safety of all civilian maritime traffic in the Black Sea is important to Turkiye, not just vessels flying the Turkish flag or operated by Turkish companies.

Axar.az reports, citing Turkish media, that Erdogan made the remarks while speaking about vessels affected by the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The conflict between the parties should not reach a point where it threatens civilians and commercial activity.

For these reasons, we are taking a broader perspective. As the damage increases, we need to resolve this issue. There is a need for a mechanism that will permanently ensure the safety of commercial maritime traffic in the Black Sea.

I would especially like to make it clear that the grain crisis in Africa is once again worsening. It would be useful to take the initiative before the problem grows further,” Erdogan said.