Turkey will continue to apply restrictions on the passage of warships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles as long as the war against Ukraine continues. This was stated by the Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler after a meeting in Sofia of the defense ministers and chiefs of general staff of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
Ankara applies the rules of the Montreux Convention, which regulates the regime of the Turkish Straits. “As long as the current situation persists, we will resolutely continue to apply the current rules for the passage of warships through the Turkish Straits“, Güler said. According to him, Turkey has strictly implemented the requirements of the convention since the beginning of the war and has thus limited the spread of the conflict to a wider region.
Joint actions against the mine threat
The Turkish minister identified the war as a factor that has a significant impact on security in the Black Sea. According to him, the armed forces of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania have already taken joint measures for the safety of shipping and will continue to act on the basis of regional responsibility.
The three countries have established a mine countermeasures task force in the Black Sea, known as MCM BLACK SEA. The operation involves the national navies and naval aviation of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. The aim is to counter the mine threat posed by the war and reduce risks to shipping.
“Along with countering drifting mines, we must also focus on protecting critical underwater infrastructure,“ said Guler. He did not specify a specific deadline for including this task in the group's activities.
New monitoring of underwater infrastructure
The expansion of the mine countermeasures group's tasks to include monitoring critical underwater infrastructure depends on the ratification of the necessary documents by the Turkish parliament. This was stated by the commander of the Bulgarian Navy, Kiril Mihaylov.
Güler also announced that Turkey has taken over the leadership of the maritime component within the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine. He said that Ankara will continue to support peace and stability in the region.
According to the Turkish minister, the country maintains clear support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, while maintaining channels for dialogue with Russia. According to him, this approach is aimed at preventing further aggravation of regional crises.
Sources: ukrinform.ua, dha.com.tr, aa.com.tr