Erdoğan: Black Sea grain deal will resume as of midday Wednesday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Russian participation in a U.N.-brokered Ukrainian grain export deal was to resume on Wednesday.

In a speech in parliament, Erdoğan said that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Turkish counterpart that the deal would resume on Wednesday.

"After our phone conversation with Vladimir Putin yesterday, as of noon today, grain shipments will continue as previously planned," Erdoğan said at the Justice and Development (AK) Party's group meeting in parliament.

Erdoğan said he will have a phone call later on Wednesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

RUSSIA TO RESUME PARTICIPATION IN BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL

Russia will resume its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

"The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement," the defence ministry said in a statement.

The export deal was agreed upon by Russia and Ukraine and brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations in July to ease a world hunger crisis caused in part by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a major grain producer, and an earlier blockade of its ports. It is due to expire on Nov. 19.

Russia suspended its participation on Saturday, saying it was responding to a drone attack on Moscow's fleet in Crimea that it blamed on Ukraine. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility and denies using the grain programme's security corridor for military purposes.