Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said at a trilateral meeting in Sofia between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, dedicated to security and defense in the Black Sea region, that the safety of shipping and the maritime zones of the Black Sea countries are red lines that should not be crossed by Russia and Ukraine. He stressed that Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania have the capacity to take the necessary measures, but in his opinion, steps that would increase tension in the region should be avoided.
„We have no gaps in terms of the measures that should be taken as a country in the region. The Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian armed forces have the capacity to take all necessary measures. However, it is important to also take into account the situation we are in. It is extremely important to avoid steps and approaches that will increase tension and danger in the region through careful diplomatic moves and to make reasonable decisions at the tactical and strategic level,“ said Yaşar Güler after the meeting in Sofia.
The Turkish minister emphasized that since the first day of the war, Turkey has supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, but at the same time strives to keep the channels for negotiations and diplomacy with Russia open. He believes that this approach of Turkey has prevented the escalation of the crisis.
Güler also noted that since the beginning of the war, his country has strictly implemented the Montreux Agreement on the control of shipping through the straits in the Black Sea. According to him, this has prevented the spread of the war between Russia and Ukraine to a larger area and has managed to keep its influence over the Black Sea at the lowest levels. At the same time, Yaşar Güler said that Turkey is concerned about the increase in attacks on merchant ships.
“I believe that together with our friends and allies from Bulgaria and Romania, with our resolute position and with one voice, it is important to remind both warring parties that the trade routes and maritime spaces of the Black Sea countries are a red line that must not be crossed“, said Yaşar Güler.
He assured that Turkey will continue to contribute to strengthening peace and stability in the region. Yaşar Güler recalled that in order to prevent the risk of mines in the water, Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania established a mine action group within NATO in the Black Sea and stressed that other countries can also contribute to its activities without ships.
„On the other hand, we believe that protecting underwater infrastructure is also important along with preventing the risk of mines. In this regard, on July 7, 2026, during the NATO summit, we signed an annex to the agreement“, Yaşar Güler also said.