Erdoğan says Türkiye issued warning to Ukraine and Russia over Black Sea ship attacks
Photo: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye (Getty Images)
Türkiye has issued warnings to both Ukraine and Russia over attacks in the Black Sea, saying strikes on vessels do not benefit anyone, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to Daily Sabah.
The Turkish leader did not comment on an incident involving the downing of an unidentified drone over the Black Sea. Instead, speaking to Turkish ambassadors, he referred to recent attacks on ships.
According to Erdoğan, Türkiye strictly adheres to the Montreux Convention, which grants Ankara full authority to control the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles and is aimed at preventing the war from spreading into the Black Sea.
"However, the recent reciprocal attacks pose a serious threat to maritime safety in the Black Sea. Targeting commercial and civilian vessels benefits no one. We are clearly conveying our warnings on this issue to both sides," the President said.
The Montreux Convention guarantees full freedom of navigation for civilian vessels in peacetime and restricts access for warships. At the same time, Türkiye has the right to close the straits to warships of countries involved in a conflict if it is not a party to that conflict.
Attacks on vessels
In recent weeks, Ukraine has carried out attacks on tankers belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea. According to RBC-Ukraine's sources, the tankers were damaged in strikes by naval drones.
In particular, on December 10, it was reported that SBU drones hit the tanker Dashan as it was heading toward the Novorossiysk port terminal.
Meanwhile, on December 12, Russian forces launched a missile strike on the ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa, damaging a ferry sailing under the Turkish flag.
