Turkey to ‘intensify’ negotiations for Ukraine grain deal

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he intends to “intensify” negotiations with Russia and Ukraine in the hope of reaching a deal on a U.N. plan to export Ukrainian grain to world markets. Erdogan made the comments during a joint news conference with Italian Premier Mario Draghi. Turkey is working with the United Nations, Ukraine and Russia on a plan to that would allow millions of tons of Ukrainian grain sitting in silos to be shipped through safe corridors in the Black Sea. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia’s invasion halted most of that flow, endangering food supplies to many developing countries, especially in Africa.