Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan acknowledged on Saturday 19 September 2026 that Russia and Ukraine’s positions on halting attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea were difficult to reconcile, despite Ankara submitting proposals to both sides as part of efforts to reach an understanding that would protect commercial shipping and grain exports.
In a television interview, Fidan said Turkey had sent proposals to Russia and Ukraine and received responses from both sides, adding that Turkish diplomacy was working to turn those responses into a formula that could form the basis for a mutual understanding. The Turkish minister added that Moscow and Kyiv had demands and positions that were “difficult to reconcile”, pointing to obstacles that needed to be overcome before a result could be reached.
He said Ankara was continuing its contacts with both sides, but believed that reaching a lasting solution to the war at the current stage appeared difficult. Fidan identified removing grain from the Black Sea region as the first priority of Turkey’s efforts, stressing that countries around the world needed these supplies.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative and the safe corridor mechanism
He noted that grain was a commodity exported by both Russia and Ukraine, making the secure movement of vessels carrying it a possible basis for the talks. A Turkish diplomat told Agence France-Presse on Thursday 17 September that Ankara had shared with Russia and Ukraine a draft memorandum aimed at finding a solution to attacks targeting civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
He explained that the proposal was inspired by the mechanism adopted under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Turkey and the United Nations brokered in 2022. The initiative provided a safe corridor for transporting Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea during the war, before Russia withdrew from it in 2023.
Ukraine subsequently established an alternative shipping corridor along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, but vessels have to cross part of international waters during their journeys, which the Turkish diplomat described as hazardous and extending for about four or five miles. The new Turkish plan seeks to halt attacks on commercial vessels and reduce the time they spend in areas exposed to attacks.
Attacks on civilian vessels intensify
The move followed an increase in attacks on civilian shipping in recent months, as Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes on ports, vessels and export routes linked to the other side. Figures cited by Agence France-Presse from maritime-sector organisations showed that at least 25 Turkish-owned vessels had come under attack since late June, including four vessels flying the Turkish flag.
In August, the Turkish Foreign Ministry had expressed deep concern about the war spreading to the Black Sea and its impact on civilian vessels, and called on the parties to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of shipping.
Ankara links compromise to political will
On 15 September, Fidan said during a press conference in Baku that Turkey was holding talks with both sides on the Black Sea and working to align their responses and build a mutually acceptable approach. He stressed that reaching a compromise remained possible if Moscow and Kyiv showed political will and goodwill.
Ankara had previously called for a suspension of attacks on commercial vessels, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on 14 August that Moscow had not, at that time, received a formal Turkish proposal containing specific terms. She also linked Russia’s position on any maritime arrangement to ensuring that Russian agricultural products could reach global markets and that the obligations did not apply to only one side.
Turkey’s current efforts focus on protecting civilian vessels and maintaining grain exports, as Ankara stresses that the escalation of attacks in the Black Sea threatens not only shipping but could also have wider repercussions for supply chains and global food security.
