Türkiye ramps up Black Sea protection as Ukraine targets commercial vessels

Türkiye is taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea following recent Ukrainian attacks on commercial vessels, Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler said.

He made the statement in parliament during discussions on the ministry’s budget, emphasising the persistently high level of risk in the Black Sea, Caliber. Az reports via Turkish media.

Güler stated that Türkiye is firmly continuing its national and multinational efforts to secure navigation and counter the mine threat, while strictly adhering to the Montreux Convention.

According to the defence minister, Türkiye is issuing warnings and notifications to relevant parties to stop attacks that threaten the safety of navigation in its exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. 

“In this context, we are taking the necessary measures to protect our maritime jurisdiction areas and our critical underwater and surface infrastructure, and we are continuously maintaining surveillance, reconnaissance, and monitoring activities with our naval and air assets. The fact remains that Türkiye is one of the key actors in ensuring balance, stability, and peace in the Black Sea,” the minister said.

Türkiye has repeatedly stated that it strictly abides by the Montreux Convention, signed in 1936, and that under Article 19, it closed the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to warships of the warring parties and non-littoral states at the start of the conflict, to prevent further escalation in the Black Sea region.

By Jeyhun Aghazada