Türkiye proposes deal with Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on civilian vessels - Media
Photo: oil tanker (Getty Images)
Türkiye has handed Ukraine and Russia a draft memorandum aimed at fully stopping attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea, Al Arabiya reports. According to AFP, the information was provided by a source among Turkish diplomats.
"We have shared a text of a memorandum, a draft text, with the Russians and the Ukrainians to come up with a solution to those strikes taking place in the Black Sea," the diplomat said.
The main goal of the initiative is to protect civilian vessels along the most vulnerable section of the route. According to the diplomat, there is a stretch of about 4-5 miles where ships leave Ukraine's territorial waters and enter international waters, creating an elevated risk of attacks.
Reasons behind the memorandum
The new proposal is based on the mechanism of the grain corridor that operated in 2022 under the mediation of the UN and Türkiye.
Ankara stepped up its diplomatic efforts amid a sharp increase in incidents in the Black Sea. Since late June, at least 25 civilian vessels owned by Turkish companies have been attacked in the area.
The original grain deal was signed in 2022 to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
After Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, Ukraine independently established an alternative humanitarian corridor running through the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria.
On September 17, a Russian drone attacked a civilian vessel flying the Tanzanian flag that was heading to one of Ukraine's ports. The attack killed one person and injured several others.
Earlier, Bloomberg sources reported that Türkiye had restricted the movement of certain commercial vessels in the Black Sea. The reason for the move was the growing number of attacks.
