ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will have a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss a possible revival of the Black Sea grain corridor.

Speaking to the press Sunday on the margins of the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Erdogan said Türkiye’s efforts on the grain corridor are intended “to pave the way for peace."

"I believe that, if we can set this process in motion, it would be highly beneficial," he added.

Ankara first arranged Russia-Ukraine talks in March 2022, just weeks after the war began, and later brokered the Black Sea grain deal to facilitate exports of grain and fertilizers from Ukrainian ports during the war. Russia suspended its participation in July 2023.

On the ongoing Sudan conflict, the Turkish president said the Sudanese people want Ankara to play a role in resolving the issue, vowing: "Wherever there is trouble, we will be there."

"Whether in the Gulf, Sudan, or Somalia, we have been part of these efforts” and will continue expeditious efforts for peace, Erdogan added.

Türkiye "strongly" upholds the Palestinian cause without hesitation, said the president, adding: "We boldly defend the rights of the oppressed people of Gaza on every platform."

Erdogan also hailed South Africa’s "unwavering" and "valuable" support for Palestine, saying it has shown an exemplary stance during the Gaza genocide, which so far has claimed 70,000 lives.

South Africa took a "courageous stance" by filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, said Erdogan.

Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are perpetrators of genocide in Gaza, and it is clear that the war in Gaza is a genocide, he added.

On the G20's role, he said it is important for members since it provides leadership to the international community in the face of current and future global challenges.

Global peace is impossible without the establishment of an independent Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said.