Turkish President Erdogan 'deserves Nobel Peace Prize' for Ukraine deal

A former US official has said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan deserves to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing Erdogan's efforts in brokering the Ukrainian grain export deal.

Former US Undersecretary of Defense Dov S. Zakheim penned an article, “The triumph of Turkey’s Erdogan” for the Hill news website that was published on Friday.

"Erdogan deserves at least to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize," he wrote.

“Erdogan, working alongside the United Nations, was able to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine that would allow the shipment of grain from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea,” he said.

READ MORE: How Türkiye made Ukraine grain exports deal with Russia possible

'Major triumph' for Erdogan

He noted that 22 million tons of grains had not moved due to a Russian blockade and that there were disagreements between Moscow and Kiev about the clearing of mines in the Black Sea.

“As a result of the impasse, international food prices skyrocketed and millions were threatened with starvation, creating the prospect of another mass migration to Europe,” he said.

The agreement would allow Moscow to export food and fertilisers, he said, adding: “The agreement is literally a lifesaver.”

“There can be little doubt that the grain agreement represents a major triumph for the Turkish president, “ he said.

READ MORE: Türkiye inaugurates Joint Coordination Centre for Ukraine grain exports

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal last week in Istanbul to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain exports stuck for months because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which is now in its sixth month. 

A Joint Coordination Center was established to carry out inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors and to ensure the safety of the routes, according to the deal.