Turkish President Erdogan holds talks with Russian counterpart Putin, discusses grain deal, Ukraine conflict

Ankara [Turkey], March 25 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with their Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. During the talks, Erdogan praised Putin for his "positive stance" regarding the extension of the Black Sea grain initiative.
Turkish President called for "immediate cessation" of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine through negotiations. Erdogan and Putin also spoke about the latest developments in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Taking to its official Twitter handle, the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey stated, "President Erdogan thanked President Putin for his positive stance regarding the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. President Erdogan highlighted the importance Turkiye attaches to the immediate cessation of the Russia-Ukraine conflicts through negotiations."
"The Turkish leader positively assessed Russia's consent to extend the Istanbul Agreements, which deal with the export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and the unblocking of exports of Russian food and fertilizers for 60 days," the statement released by the Kremlin read.
It further stated, "At the same time, he acknowledged Russia's principled position to fulfil the second part of the aforementioned package of agreements, which are aimed at eliminating barriers in place for agricultural products from Russia."
Last week, Erdogan announced an extension of the Black Sea grain deal, CNN reported. The deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July to ensure safe passage for ships carrying grain exports from Ukraine.
During the telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed steps to strengthen ties between Turkey and Russia. Erdogan stressed that the two nations could take further measures based on the economic cooperation agreed upon in Sochi.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the "positive dynamic" of trade and economic ties, the implementation of joint strategic power engineering projects, including gas supplies, and the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkey, according to the statement released by the Kremlin.
Erdogan expressed his gratitude to Russia for its help in overcoming the aftermath of earthquakes in Turkey. The two leaders agreed to continue working on the potential delivery of construction materials from Russia to restore destroyed infrastructure and residential buildings. During the talks, Putin and Erdogan spoke about the Syrian issue and the importance of continuing the normalization of Turkish-Syrian ties.