Türkiye is continuing to send aid to Ukraine as winter is looming in conjunction with its efforts to maintain and expand the grain deal with Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.

Speaking to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call, Erdoğan said the July 22 grain deal can be expanded to include different food products and other commodities, according to a statement by the Presidency's Directorate of Communication.

Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed a landmark Türkiye-brokered agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been paused due to the war that started in February.

Thanks to Turkish efforts, the landmark deal was extended for another 120 days, starting Nov. 19.

Erdoğan also hoped for a solution on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, which has been under Russian control since March.

One of the world's largest nuclear plants, it generated 20% of Ukraine's electricity before the Russia-Ukraine war started on Feb. 24.

The president said first lady Emine Erdoğan has been taking care of over 1,000 Ukrainian orphans and their companions in the capital Ankara.

According to the statement, Erdoğan said they are evaluating options to support the implementation of a 10-point peace plan announced by Zelenskyy at the G-20 summit in Bali last month.

Zelenskyy, for his part, thanked Erdoğan for sheltering Ukrainian children and providing hundreds of generators for cities amid blackouts due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

"Noted Türkiye's support for the Ukrainian #GrainfromUkraine initiative. Also discussed further work & possible expansion of the grain corridor," he said on Twitter.

Earlier on Sunday, Erdoğan also held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral issues, energy, the fight against terrorism and the grain deal.

Türkiye enabled a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Also, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the U.N., Russia, and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29. Türkiye also hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya in March.