Europe on high alert for food crisis; Türkiye emerges as potential solution

The Russia-Ukraine war has brought Europe to the brink of a new crisis. European countries, already struggling with the challenges of accommodating refugees from the war and facing a serious energy crisis, are now on alert for a potential food crisis.

The EU Foreign Ministers met in Brussels. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, stated that after Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative Agreement, Russia bombarded Ukrainian ports and a large amount of grain was destroyed, leading to "a major food crisis."

Following Russia's announcement that it will treat ships heading to Ukrainian ports as potential military targets, wheat prices surged rapidly in the global markets.

According to the BBC's report, wheat prices on European stock markets increased by more than 8% compared to the previous day. Corn prices also rose by 5.4%. Experts are referring to Ukraine as "Europe's breadbasket."

Moscow had withdrawn from the Grain Corridor Agreement, which guaranteed safe passage for grain shipments from the Black Sea, earlier this week. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that they would return to the grain agreement if their demands were met.

The main agenda item of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers' meeting in Brussels was the relations between Türkiye and the EU.

The EU High Representative Borrell recalled that they had met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Jakarta during the ASEAN meeting, and he stated, "They want to restart accession negotiations. They want to prioritize the EU in their political approach. This is good news."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that they want to work together with key partners like Türkiye in geopolitically challenging times. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn also said, "Now, for securing this grain agreement that affects the whole world, we should focus on Türkiye, the only country that I believe has influence over Vladimir Putin."