Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian ministers sign Black Sea security amendment

Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler met separately with Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruța and Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov in Ankara on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. The meetings were held at the Presidential Complex, according to a statement from the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

Expanded mandate

During the talks, the three defense ministers signed an amendment to the memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea). The amendment expands the task group’s mandate to include the protection of the three countries’ critical undersea infrastructure in the Black Sea, such as pipelines and other facilities. The move comes amid increased maritime security concerns following attacks by Russia and Ukraine that have raised fears of damage to existing infrastructure. The trilateral task group was first established in January 2024 to ensure freedom of navigation through surveillance, mine countermeasure operations, and neutralization of maritime hazards.

Trilateral cooperation

Guler later attended a working lunch with NATO defense ministers, the ministry said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal. The expanded mandate reflects the growing importance of underwater infrastructure for the security of the Black Sea region and the wider Euro-Atlantic area, contributing to NATO's collective defense and deterrence efforts on its Eastern Flank. The MCM Black Sea group, which rotates command among the three nations annually, has been recognized as a successful model for regional security cooperation.