Turkish, US defense chiefs discuss Ukraine grain export deal

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (L) and Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar shake hands during a NATO Defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels, on March 16, 2022 [JOHANNA GERON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

In a Monday phone call, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed last week’s deal to reopen Ukrainian ports for grain exports, says Anadolu Agency.

The call came after Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal on Friday to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain exports stuck for months due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its sixth month.

Akar and Austin also exchanged views on Turkish-Greek relations, proposed US F-16 sales to Turkiye, the fight against terrorism, and other regional defense and security issues, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement.

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