US Reviews Turkey's Proposals for Black Sea Grain

November 1, 2026 · Dünya Gazetesi

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that concrete proposals submitted by Turkey and India for the re-establishment of a safe grain corridor in the Black Sea are being meticulously reviewed by Washington.

New Initiative for Black Sea Grain

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized at a press conference in Atlanta following the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting that commercial ship traffic in the Black Sea basin needs to be placed under international guarantees. Rubio stated that military attacks on civilian merchant ships in the region are causing significant direct disruptions in global agricultural and energy markets, and conveyed that a limited ceasefire option is being discussed at the diplomacy table to ensure maritime transportation can continue safely. Secretary Rubio expressed that the Washington administration, along with its international allies, has the will to keep critical sea routes constantly open, adding that such a step, even if it doesn't end the overall war, would provide vital relief to markets in terms of global agricultural logistics.

Turkey and India at the Table

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that regional actors are stepping in with decisive actions to bring the global grain corridor back into operation, and made the following assessments:

'We are experiencing different problems regarding freedom of maritime transport in various regions. When we look at the Black Sea, we see many countries expressing their views and being ready to contribute. Both Turkey and India have come to the table with proposals that will enable grain shipments to resume. Because this situation threatens the world's food security and, to some extent, energy security.'

Rubio noted that the technical and operational proposals prepared by the Ankara administration are being reviewed with great attention by the White House and the State Department bureaucracy, and that multilateral diplomatic contacts are gaining significant momentum.

Food Security Alarms Again

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that international guarantee formulas are being brought to the agenda against the risk of agricultural products from the Black Sea not reaching global import markets uninterruptedly, and detailed the process with the following words:

'I believe there is increasing interest within the international community to become a guarantor or facilitator of an agreement to resolve this issue, which threatens not only food and grain shipments but also energy security. I can say that the interest in taking on a role in this regard is increasing again. For example, we are examining the proposals that Turkey submitted to us about one or two weeks ago in this context. We will continue to evaluate these proposals. We want to reach such an agreement. This will not end the war, but it will at least resolve a certain dimension of the war.'

Africa Affected by Shipment Crisis

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, referring to the operational functioning and sustainability of the Black Sea Grain Initiative mechanism previously established under Turkey's leadership, explained that every disruption in maritime logistics wears down the most vulnerable poor geographies in terms of access to basic food. Rubio, while refraining from making a definitive prediction about the likelihood of a potential agreement on the table being implemented, noted the following:

'I am not someone who calculates probabilities. I cannot say whether it is more or less likely. However, I can say that there is interest in facilitating such an agreement. Moreover, this is not a new issue. For example, Turkey has consistently made efforts in this regard in the past and ensured an agreement came into effect for a period. However, that agreement later collapsed. Therefore, I do not want to speculate on the probability of reaching an agreement. I think it affects many countries in the world, and this impact was voiced today. The African continent, in particular, is paying a heavy price for this situation. There is also an energy dimension to this.'

Diplomatic Contacts and Leaders

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio advocated for the necessity of direct diplomatic contact with the Russian side to prevent the regional crisis from escalating into more dangerous dimensions, emphasizing the need to find common ground so that sabotage against commercial ships and critical infrastructure does not escalate the all-out war. Rubio highlighted shared responsibility and continued:

'Because we are all facing these challenges, we must work together to overcome them.'

Secretary Rubio also stated that he had direct talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov within this process, and that the possibilities of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit or the G20 Leaders Summit planned in Miami were being thoroughly evaluated. Rubio added that if President Putin personally attends the summits, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy might also be invited to the event.

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