Turkey will five times increase the cost of passage through the Black Sea Straits in October, the Sabah newspaper reports, citing sources in the Turkish Ministry of Transport.

The increase in fees for the lighthouse, medical care, and evacuation of merchant ships is provided for by the Montreux Convention, which regulates navigation in the straits.

According to the media, Turkey has abolished the payment system for collecting fees for passage through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, which was introduced in 1983. Turkey calculates the toll in French francs. In 1983, the franc was set at $0.8. Due to inflation and the rise in the price of gold, fees have practically depreciated. From October 7, 2022, the franc exchange rate will be set at four dollars.

Sabah estimates that Turkey's annual income from passage through the straits will increase from $40 million to $200 million.

• Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey banned the passage of warships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles.