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Praise for Erdogan's mediation in Ukraine grain deal has its limits

The UN-Turkish mediation with Russia and Ukraine may not give the Turkish president the expected diplomatic boost at home.

Erdogan grain
Turkish President Tecep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shakes hands with Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov during a signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. — OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received widespread praise for the agreement he co-brokered with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Istanbul on July 22 for Ukrainian grain to reach world markets.

Erdogan’s supporters are casting him as the leader who saved the world from starvation, and he will try and use this to his political advantage at home, where doubts about the competence of his administration are increasing.

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