On Sunday, NATO member Turkey shifted its tone, calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “war” and promising to enforce elements of an international accord that might impede Russian naval transit from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.
Ankara had been urged by Kyiv to prevent any additional Russian ships from entering the Black Sea, from where Moscow began an attack on Ukraine’s southern shore. This month, at least six Russian warships and a submarine passed through Turkey’s straits.
“It’s no longer just a few air strikes; the situation in Ukraine has officially devolved into a war… The Montreux Convention will be implemented “Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said in an interview with CNN Turk.
Ankara has termed the Russian attack deplorable in previous days, but had not labelled the situation in Ukraine as a war until Sunday, balancing its Western commitments and tight connections with Moscow.
The rhetorical shift allows Turkey to apply the Montreux Convention’s clauses, which allow it to restrict naval transit of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits during warfare or if it is threatened.
However, due to a stipulation in the deal that exempts those returning to their registered station, Cavusoglu emphasised that Turkey cannot stop all Russian warships from accessing the Black Sea.
“This exemption should not be abused in any way. Ships that proclaim their intention to return to their bases while passing through the straits should be excluded from the conflict “Cavusoglu remarked.
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