Russian President: Erdogan is a man who keeps his promise

Russian President Vladimir Putin described his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a man who keeps his promise.

This came in a statement to reporters after his meeting on Monday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Russian city of Sochi.

“I think it is clear why we propose to establish a center in Turkey for the shipment of gas to Europe. Because it is very difficult to work directly with European partners. Working with Turkey is easier for us. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a man who keeps his promise,” Putin said.

And he added, “Although our agreement may be difficult at times, if we agree with him on something, we try to achieve it. Moreover, working with Turkey will make it easier for us to control the waters of the Black Sea.”

He expressed his confidence that if a natural gas center is established in Turkey, there will be buyers of Russian gas, adding: “Let’s see what happens this winter and the next. But I am sure that new contracts will be signed.”

With regard to the agreement on shipping Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, Putin said that Russia did not leave the agreement, but rather suspended it.

He continued, “The Ukrainian grain did not go to the poor countries, but this is not the main reason for suspending the agreement. Rather, it is an attack by Ukraine on the ships of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, even if this attack was a failure.”

And yesterday, Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the suspension of the movement of ships through the safe passage designated under the Black Sea Initiative for the transport of grain, “due to its use by Ukraine in conducting combat operations against Russia.”

Last July 22, Istanbul witnessed the signing of the “Document on the Safe Shipping Initiative for Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports” between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations.

The agreement included securing exports of grain stuck in the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea (Eastern Europe) to the world to address the global food shortage crisis that threatens a humanitarian catastrophe.