Turkey reserves its legal rights to respond to attacks on ships flying the Turkish flag or owned by Turkish companies in the Black Sea. This was stated by Defense Minister Yaşar Güler after a security meeting in Sofia with the participation of his colleagues from Bulgaria and Romania.
“We also reserve all legal rights regarding attacks on ships flying the Turkish flag or belonging to Turkey and are closely monitoring the developments“, said Güler.
According to him, Ankara is concerned by the intense attacks on commercial ships in the region. Since the beginning of the war in 2022, vessels flying the Turkish flag or owned by Turkish companies have been hit by drone attacks, sea mines and missiles, the minister said. He did not name any specific incidents or perpetrators.
Call to Moscow and Kiev
Güler called on Russia and Ukraine to act wisely and respect the principle of safe shipping on the high seas. He said that both countries had repeatedly received the necessary warnings from Ankara.
The Turkish minister indicated that his country was still waiting for responses from Moscow and Kiev to the proposal for safe grain transport. The initiative was sent in mid-September, and the Kremlin confirmed its receipt.
Security mechanism under discussion
Since the end of the summer, discussions have been held on the creation of a special mechanism to prevent attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. During the talks, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey announced the MCM BLACK SEA task force, which is planned to strengthen coordination on security and freedom of navigation.
Ankara's warning comes amid a surge in attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, Reuters reported. Turkey, which maintains relations with both Moscow and Kiev, has urged both sides to prevent new incidents threatening civilian shipping.
Sources: focus-news.net, uk.marketscreener.com