Turkey's Erdogan says ready to host Putin in August

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit Turkey next month for talks on several issues, reported Xinhua.

"We are preparing to host Putin in August," Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers at an Istanbul mosque.

According to Erdogan, one of the key issues expected on the agenda of the two leaders' talks is whether the Black Sea Grain Initiative will be prolonged.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations that allows Ukraine to export grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports, will expire on July 17.

Erdogan called for extending the deal last week, stressing that poor African countries in particular are in desperate need of grain shipments from Ukraine.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in July 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.