Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the Türkiye-Bulgaria-Romania Meeting of Defense Ministers and Chiefs of Staff, held in Sofia, alongside General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of the General Staff. (AA Photo)
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler met with his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts in Sofia on Oct. 28, for a security meeting amid a surge in attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
Güler was accompanied by Turkish Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. Following a family photo, the three countries’ defense ministers and chiefs of general staff began their meeting.
More than 200 civilian and commercial vessels have come under attack in the Black Sea since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, with the vast majority of incidents occurring this year, according to the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (IMEAK DTO).
Black Sea littoral states have recently stepped up security measures following a series of deadly attacks on commercial vessels, with Bulgaria announcing plans to hold urgent consultations with Türkiye and Romania to ensure the safety of navigation.
Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova said on Oct. 7 that Sofia would propose urgent consultations with Türkiye and Romania to develop joint measures to prevent further attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and safeguard freedom of navigation.
Iotova also proposed that Bulgaria launch a diplomatic initiative involving all six Black Sea littoral states, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia, to seek an agreement on a moratorium aimed at halting hostilities in the Black Sea.
The initiative aims to transform the Black Sea into a “common security area,” according to proposals outlined after the meeting.
Bulgaria will also push for the establishment of a framework mechanism under the European Union’s Black Sea strategy to ensure free and secure maritime traffic in the region.
Sofia is additionally expected to call for increased NATO air and maritime surveillance capabilities in the Black Sea, stronger coastal defenses and the deployment of additional anti-drone systems.
