According to the president, "Turkey also faced this lobbying"
ANKARA, July 3. /tass/. The initiatives put forward by Turkey in Istanbul last year to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including the grain deal, faced opposition from lobbyists to continue military operations. This was announced on Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a government meeting.
"The agreements on grain, prisoner exchange, and other diplomatic efforts that began with the Istanbul process, unfortunately, faced opposition from the lobbyists of the war. Turkey also faced this lobbying. If the Istanbul initiatives had been regarded as a way to end the conflict in decent positions, there would not have been so many losses and tears," he said. The president's statement was broadcast by local TV channels.
Erdogan noted that the parties interested in the continuation of hostilities are putting pressure on Turkey. "We have become a target for war lobbyists because of our balanced policy. There is a lot more pressure on us from those who don't like it. And as always, the opposition was used as a lever of pressure," he said.
The Turkish leader pointed out that despite this, Ankara will continue its efforts and dialogue with Moscow and Kiev. "As before, we remain the only country that simultaneously speaks with Russia and Ukraine, conducts a dialogue, implements initiatives to resolve acute issues. We communicate at the level of heads of state. I hope we will continue to implement such a balanced policy in the future," Erdogan said.
On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizers to international markets was signed in Istanbul. Initially, the agreements were concluded for 120 days, in November last year their validity was extended for the same period. On March 18, Russia announced an extension of the deal for 60 days, that is, until July 17, warning that this time would be enough to assess the implementation of the memorandum signed with the UN. On June 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that at the moment he sees no arguments in favor of extending the agreements.
