The Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the attacks on Turkish civilian ships sailing in the Black Sea, the Anadolu Agency reported, quoted by BTA.
The ministry's statement comes after three crew members of the Turkish cargo ship "Hope" were seriously injured in a drone attack in the Black Sea last night. The ship was hit about 20 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk while sailing to the Turkish port of Samsun, and it is not clear which side was behind the attack.
According to information from the ministry, quoted by the Anadolu Agency, another civilian ship - "Yaşar" - was also the target of a drone attack after leaving the port of Novorossiysk last night.
The ministry emphasizes that the safety of Turkish citizens is their top priority and their condition is being closely monitored.
“Serious concern is expressed that despite all our warnings, the war between Russia and Ukraine is spreading further into the Black Sea, also affecting civilian ships“, the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement also says.
The ministry emphasizes that if preventive measures are not taken, the escalation in the Black Sea will have multidimensional negative consequences, including for food security.
In conclusion, the ministry called on all affected parties, and especially the warring states, to immediately implement specific measures to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.