More than 12 million tons of grain have been exported since August 1, when an agreement with Kyiv and Moscow to unblock Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea came into force, Turkey said on Tuesday.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the agreement reached through the mediation of the UN and the government of Ankara allowed a total of 501 ships with grain on board to sail.
“The number of ships leaving Ukrainian ports reached 501 (on Monday). The volume of shipped grain (wheat, corn and barley) exceeded 12 million tons,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement, whose main goal was to alleviate the food crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, remains in force until March 2023, after contacts between the parties were established on November 17.