Erdogan emphasises importance of exporting Russian grain, fertiliser
More than four million tonnes of grain have left Ukrainian ports so far, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, while also stressing the importance of exporting Russian grain and fertilisers to help poor countries.
On a prisoner swap deal between Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan says 200 of those prisoners are currently "guests" in Türkiye.
The Istanbul grain deal is running "smoothly," with more than four million tonnes of grain having been exported from Ukrainian ports thus far, the Turkish president has said.
"[The exports are] still continuing," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
Stressing the importance of exporting Russian grain and fertilisers, Erdogan said that it will help poor countries.
On a prisoner swap deal between Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan said 200 of those prisoners are currently "guests" in Türkiye.
"These are our guests. One of them was a name that Mr (Vladimir) Putin insisted on. We also sent that person to Russia," he added.
Earlier this week, Erdogan announced that Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange 200 prisoners as a result of Türkiye's mediation and diplomatic exchanges with the leaders of the two countries.
He had told reporters in New York that the prisoner exchange under Türkiye's mediation was an "important step" toward ending the war between the two countries.
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