Erdogan and Zelenskyy agree to work on grain corridor

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed in Istanbul on Saturday to work on a new Black Sea grain corridor, and Erdogan called on Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on civilian vessels, saying such attacks serve no one's interests.

Why it matters: A working corridor would restore a protected route for Ukrainian grain and other cargo through a sea where commercial ships have been struck, and the United States says it is reviewing Turkish and Indian proposals for a limited Black Sea ceasefire to secure those shipments.

Data as of Al Jazeera report of October 31, 2026, with AFP and Reuters, read in full in this run, carrying the joint Istanbul news conference; Arab News carried the same Erdogan statements in the feed pool for this run. The statements are the two leaders' own, reported at their joint appearance; no Russian response is in this reporting. Developing item.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Saturday, and the two leaders agreed to work on a new grain corridor through the Black Sea, with Erdogan saying talks to restore safe navigation would continue. Erdogan called on Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships, said attacks on civilian vessels are unacceptable whoever carries them out, and said Ankara has sent both sides a proposal to end the attacks that neither has acted on. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the same day in Atlanta that the United States is reviewing proposals by Turkiye and India for a limited Black Sea ceasefire to secure grain and energy shipments, and Zelenskyy said the two leaders also discussed the format of the next round of Russia, Ukraine and United States talks, planned for November in the United Arab Emirates.

Erdogan and Zelenskyy agree to work on grain corridor

Sources