Türkiye says strict Montreux implementation contained Russia-Ukraine war

Trilateral talks in Sofia

Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Wednesday that Ankara's strict implementation of the Montreux Convention since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022 has successfully prevented the conflict from spreading to a wider region while minimizing its impact on Black Sea security. Guler attended the meeting alongside Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and counterparts from Bulgaria and Romania, stressing Türkiye's continued support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity since hostilities began nearly five years ago.

He noted that Ankara has maintained open channels of dialogue with Moscow to prevent regional crises from escalating while adhering to the convention's requirements regarding naval traffic in the Turkish Straits. The defense minister said Türkiye reserves all legal rights regarding attacks on Turkish-flagged and Turkish-operated vessels, emphasizing that Ankara was closely monitoring developments following recent strikes on commercial shipping.

Montreux Convention and vessel protection

Guler stated that Türkiye has strictly fulfilled the convention's requirements since the war began, preventing the conflict from expanding beyond the Black Sea region. "As Türkiye, we have strictly fulfilled the requirements of the Montreux Convention regarding Black Sea security since the beginning of the war," he said, adding that this approach managed to keep the war's impact on the Black Sea to a minimum.

The defense minister highlighted concerns over frequent attacks on commercial vessels, noting that drifting mines and unmanned surface vehicles have threatened navigational safety throughout the nearly five-year conflict. "Indeed, we learned today that another commercial vessel was struck by three drones in Bulgaria's maritime jurisdiction," Guler said, urging both warring parties to exercise greater caution.

Mine countermeasures and coalition efforts

Guler emphasized that Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania possess robust capabilities to protect regional security, having established the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group to address mine threats through regional ownership. He noted that Türkiye is also conducting mine countermeasures operations using naval and aviation assets while leading the Maritime Component Command under the Ukraine Volunteer Coalition.

"As countries in the region, we have no shortage of capabilities when it comes to the measures that can be taken," he said, referring to capabilities of the Turkish, Romanian, and Bulgarian armed forces. "However, it is important that we also take timing and the current circumstances into account," he added, stressing the need for rational decisions at tactical and strategic levels through sensitive diplomacy.