Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania have agreed to expand mine clearance activities in the Black Sea. The water basin is key to the security and economy of the three countries, as well as NATO as a whole.
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey have reached an agreement at the NATO summit to expand the joint task force that demines the Black Sea. It will now also work to protect critical infrastructure, the Romanian Ministry of Defense announced. The Black Sea task force began work in 2024 to clear the sea of mines. Since then, more than 150 explosive devices have been neutralized, most of them from Turkey, Reuters reports.
At the alliance's summit in Ankara, the three countries agreed to expand their missions to include critical infrastructure, including energy, telecommunications and undersea pipelines. Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania all have projects to explore or extract gas in the Black Sea. The Romanian offshore gas project "Neptune Deep" should start operating in 2027, which will make Romania the largest gas producer in the European Union.
In Ankara, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov also signed a memorandum with the defense ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands for the acquisition of 7 mine countermeasure ships.
How to protect the sea from mines
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea has been facing a serious problem - mines. Sometimes they even end up in international sea corridors. This is a serious problem for Turkey, and not only. The Black Sea's road arteries are key for the export of grain, energy and other goods. Even one mine can cause severe damage and block traffic for days.
Rear Admiral Özgür Erken is one of the leaders of the mine clearance missions in the Black Sea. He told DW that even a single mine can damage cargo ships and cause problems in sea traffic for days. "When we detect a mine, our special teams immediately destroy or neutralize it. The main goal is one - for the Black Sea to be safe for all ships and other activities that take place in it", explains Erken.
The joint project of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey does not aim to interfere in the war in any way, but to secure the sea. The water basin has become one of the most crucial in all of Europe. Turkey, which controls the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, has a particularly great interest in ensuring that transport through the Black Sea passes peacefully.
Turkey's key role
At the beginning of the war in 2022, Turkey restricted the movement of warships through the straits under the Montreux Convention. According to analysts, this played a key role in the safety of the Black Sea. "Turkey has a particularly important role in controlling how far Russia allows itself to wage its war not only from the Black Sea, but also through the Mediterranean. That is why Ankara has increased its importance to the allies, even though the country's political relations with many of the NATO countries are not easy," says Ian Lesser of the non-governmental organization "German Marshall Fund".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan manages to maintain a balance between Ukraine and Russia in his country's relations with the two warring states. Turkey sends drones to Ukraine, but does not break off its relations with Russia. This definitely bothers NATO allies. "The Turks want to support Ukraine without being against Russia. This is a difficult balancing act. Ultimately, however, Turkey is part of NATO and is increasingly important," says Lesser. The expert believes that this is precisely why Turkey and Russia's relations are more special.
The work on securing the Black Sea continues and is set to grow. The Turkish Navy says it is waiting for the moment when the war will end. Then Ankara wants to actively participate in clearing mines in Ukrainian territorial waters, as well as elsewhere where they cause problems. The security of the Black Sea is of utmost importance to NATO. This also predetermines the importance of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria to the Alliance - both now and in the days after the end of the Russian war against Ukraine.