Before his trip to the Gulf countries, Turkish President Erdoğan praised these nations for their support after the recent earthquake disaster in Turkey. He also spoke about the grain corridor operation, underscoring Turkey’s role in mitigating the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He lauded the Black Sea initiative as a diplomatic success, having facilitated the shipment of over a million tons of grain and preventing a potential food crisis in low-income countries. Despite a recent statement, Erdoğan expressed confidence that Putin wants to continue this humanitarian project. He announced plans to meet with Putin upon his return to discuss these issues and facilitate the shipment of Russian grain and fertilizer.