Turkey has established direct contacts with both Russia and Ukraine to discuss the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea following an increase in attacks on vessels, a source in the Turkish government told Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Authorities in Ankara are closely monitoring the situation in the Black Sea maritime area against the backdrop of increasingly frequent attacks carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on ships in the region. The Turkish official stressed that Ankara proceeds from the fundamental necessity of ensuring the safety of civilian vessels.
Turkish leadership expects that diplomatic contacts with both Moscow and Kyiv will continue uninterrupted in order to reduce rising threats to maritime trade and merchant shipping across the Black Sea, according to the source.
Black Sea straits and maritime security
Turkey holds a pivotal geographic position along the southern coast of the Black Sea and retains exclusive control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, the government in Ankara regulates all naval and merchant vessel traffic passing between the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Black Sea region serves as a vital international trade route for exported grain, agricultural products, fertilizers and energy supplies bound for European, Middle Eastern, and global markets. Turkey has repeatedly positioned itself as an indispensable diplomatic mediator between Russia and Ukraine, having previously worked alongside the United Nations to negotiate maritime transport agreements aimed at protecting commercial sea lanes.
Call for restrictions on Ukrainian traffic
The ongoing talks coincide with public statements regarding Turkey's management of its strategic waterways. Ihsan Sefa, a retired Air Force colonel who previously served as a Turkish military attache, stated earlier that the authorities in Ankara need to restrict passage through the Turkish straits for any vessels connected to Ukraine.
Despite these external calls, Turkish officials maintain that ensuring uninterrupted commercial transit and safeguarding merchant crews remains the central focus of their diplomatic efforts. Turkey plans to sustain dialogue with all involved parties to prevent further escalation along critical Black Sea shipping routes.
