Turkish, Russian presidents meet in Tehran, discuss Ukraine

TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Tuesday, July 19, in Iran where the two leaders are on an official visit for bilateral and regional talks. Russia's approach towards Türkiye's mediation on getting Ukrainian grain out of Black Sea ports was "positive," the Turkish president said. "The approach of the Russian delegation in the last Istanbul meetings was very positive. The outcome of the talks will have a positive impact on the whole world," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart in Iran's capital Tehran. Erdogan's remarks came in a brief statement with Putin for the media before their one-on-one meeting ahead of the 7th trilateral summit meeting in Astana format which is due hosted by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the latest developments in Syria, and the fight against terror groups, particularly the PKK and its Syrian offshoot the YPG/PKK, and Daesh. The Turkish president said he believes that the talks will be "fruitful." For his part, Putin thanked Erdogan for Türkiye's mediation efforts on food and grain issues, adding that the process for the Ukrainian grain exports has moved forward with Ankara's mediation. The issues about the exports of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports have not all yet been resolved, but having progress is already a "good sign," Putin said. There are many issues on the Syrian settlement matter and "promising large bilateral projects" are developing and moving forward, he added. A meeting last Wednesday between Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, and UN officials agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports. (Footage by Turkish Presidency /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)