Ankara will maintain the existing restrictions on the passage of warships through the Turkish Straits under the Montreux Convention for as long as the war against Ukraine continues.
Turkish Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler made the statement following a meeting in Bulgaria of the defence ministers and chiefs of general staff of Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania, according to the DHA news agency.
"Since the beginning of the war, Türkiye has carefully implemented the provisions of the Montreux Convention concerning Black Sea security. In doing so, we have prevented the war from spreading to the wider region and minimised its impact on the Black Sea. As long as the current situation persists, we will resolutely continue to enforce the existing rules governing the passage of warships through the Turkish Straits," Güler stated.
The minister emphasised that the war, which has lasted almost five years, has had a significant impact on Black Sea security. He stressed that the armed forces of Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania have already taken important joint measures to ensure maritime security and will continue to implement any additional measures necessary, based on the principle of regional responsibility and their existing capabilities.
"To counter the mine threat caused by the war and ensure maritime security, mine countermeasure operations are being conducted with the participation of national naval forces and maritime aviation. The three coastal countries have established the MCM BLACK SEA Mine Countermeasures Task Group in the Black Sea, based on the principle of regional responsibility," the minister emphasised.
Güler noted that, alongside efforts to counter drifting mines, greater attention must be paid to protecting critical underwater infrastructure.
"Türkiye has assumed leadership of the maritime component command within the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine. It will continue to contribute consistently to strengthening peace and stability in the region," the minister said.
He stressed that Türkiye has maintained its firm support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity since the first day of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
At the same time, according to the Turkish minister, Ankara is seeking to prevent regional crises from escalating by maintaining open channels of dialogue with Russia.
