Attacks against civilian vessels in Black Sea unacceptable: Fidan

BAKU

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ceyhun Bayramov (AA Photo)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has once again urged Russia and Ukraine not to attack civilian vessels and disrupt maritime security in the Black Sea following a surge in incidents, reiterating Ankara’s continued dialogue with both warring sides to prevent the spread of the war.

Fidan made these remarks during a press conference in Baku alongside Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov on Sept. 15.

“The spread of the war into the Black Sea, threatening the lives of our citizens and the activities of our companies, is unacceptable. We are issuing the necessary warnings to the parties involved,” Fidan said.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has turned into a war of destruction as both sides do not hesitate to attack both strategic and civilian targets, Fidan said, expressing his concerns that this trend can be spread to the entire region, especially in the Black Sea.

“From the beginning of the war, our concerns and efforts were to prevent to spread the war to the Black Sea. However, the increasing attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea in recent months are severely damaging the safety of life, property, navigation and the environment in the region. Unfortunately, our Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors have also lost their lives in these attacks,” he added.

Türkiye’s recent initiative for a moratorium in the Black Sea has not yet been materialized, Fidan said, but Ankara’s engagement with the parties will continue to this end.

“We believe that a ground for consensus can be achieved if the necessary political will is demonstrated and actions are taken in good faith. We have recently intensified our efforts to reach an agreement, and we are taking the necessary initiatives to bring it to a conclusion,” the minister suggested.

The international community and relevant actors should continue their efforts to this end, and try to help Russia and Ukraine through appropriate formulas and solutions, Fidan said, stressing Türkiye will lead all these efforts.

The disruption the maritime security has the capacity to further endanger food security and energy transfer to the world markets which can further increase oil prices in the world, Fidan said. “Of course, out of all these, the spread of the war is the last thing we want.”

Fidan and Bayramov also discussed other regional developments, including the war between Iran and the United States.

The Turkish top diplomat reiterated Ankara’s pressure on both sides to end the armed conflict and pave the way for free and uninterrupted use of the Strait of Hormuz in line with its pre-war status.

“The recently increasing mutual attacks are severely disrupting peace efforts. These actions, which escalate tensions in the region, must end immediately,” he said.