Turkey called on the world community to respect its decision to implement an international pact to restrict naval passage to the Black Sea. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced on Sunday that Ankara would act under the 1936 Montreux Convention, which gives it control over the Dardanelles and Bosporus, the straits connecting the Mediterranean and Black seas, and allows Turkey to limit the passage of warships during wartime or if threatened.
“Eroding Montreux or disrupting the status quo in any way is to nobody’s benefit. We see a benefit in preserving Montreux. We tell all sides that it would be beneficial to abide by Montreux,” Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
At least four Russian ships are waiting to cross the straits from the Mediterranean Sea, according to Reuters.
Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance, retains relations with both Russia and Ukraine.