Turkey at the center of the battle to avert the global food crisis

As VOA’s Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the talks come as Ankara faces pressure to open the Black Sea to NATO ships to break Russia’s blockade of Ukraine.

Not so long ago, ships sailing across the Bosphorus transporting grain from Ukraine to global markets were commonplace. But not anymore. With Russia’s naval blockade of Ukraine – the world’s fifth-largest supplier of grain – prices are reaching record levels, threatening unrest.

“Lebanon in 2020, imported 75% of wheat from Ukraine. And, if you are going to buy wheat now, it costs expensive and you probably will not find it in the market. “So in a country like Lebanon, where there is already a financial crisis, the shortage of wheat could lead to a major crisis.”says geopolitical analyst Yoruk Isik.

The threat of a global food crisis is prompting some NATO countries to intervene.

Discussions between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish officials will focus in part on creating a corridor in the Black Sea to allow Ukrainian grain to enter world markets.

Ankara says such an agreement avoids the risk of a confrontation between NATO and Russia, given Russia’s strong naval presence in the Black Sea.

But analysts doubt that Russia is committed to easing the grain crisis, and add that Moscow could use the situation to its advantage.

If Ukrainian wheat remains stranded, analysts say Ankara will face increasing pressure to give NATO warships entry into the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, which Turkey administers under the Montreux International Convention. .

“Technically and legally, the Bosphorus Channel is closed to warships of the two warring parties, Ukraine and Russia. Turkey has kindly asked other countries not to send any warships. But there will come a time when a request will be presented to Turkey, either by NATO or a NATO member, to send warships to war. “Turkey’s alternatives are really narrowing in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war.” says Serhat Guvenc with Kadir Has University.

But analysts say Turkey is determined to prevent new protagonists from entering the Black Sea and escalating the war.

“Turkey also does not want to see an escalation of the insecurity situation by bringing in new forces like NATO to confront the Russians, because Ankara thinks that this would inevitably create a more dangerous situation for all Turkish security and also for regional security ” says Mustafa Aydin, with the Council on Foreign Relations of Turkey.

Ankara is more than aware of Moscow’s desire for Turkey to keep the Bosphorus closed to NATO ships, which gives Turkey a strong lead in talks with Russia.

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