Türkiye has warned of “multifaceted negative repercussions” as a result of the escalation in the Black Sea where Russia and Ukraine intensified their attacks on civilian vessels at the expense of further deteriorating maritime security.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a written statement on Aug. 4 after Turkish-owned civilian vessels “Yaşar” and “Nadezhda” were reported to be attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles after departing from the Port of Novorossiysk.
The attack resulted in injuries to a group of crew members including Turkish citizens, read the statement. “The safety of our citizens is our utmost priority, and their condition is being closely monitored,” it added.
“We are deeply concerned that the war between Russia and Ukraine is spreading further into the Black Sea, also affecting civilian vessels, despite all our warnings. Unless preventive measures are taken, the escalation in the Black Sea will have multifaceted negative repercussions, including for food security.”
The statement added: “We therefore reiterate our call to all relevant actors, particularly the warring parties, to urgently implement concrete measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.”
Türkiye has been in close contact with both Russia and Ukraine over the maritime security in the Black Sea since the war started in February 2022.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during his visits to Moscow in June and Kiev in July, emphasized the need for more precautions to avoid the spread of the war to the Black Sea with calls on the warring parties not to target civilian ships.
Another major incident occurred in March when the Sierra Leone-flagged and Turkish-operated tanker “Altura,” carrying crude oil in the Black Sea, was attacked. In June, a Turkish fisherman was killed because of another attack in northern parts of the Black Sea.
Both countries are intensively using their drones and unmanned marine vessels in targeting civilian ships in the region.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his conversations with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, underlined the importance of keeping the stability and peace of the region by paying utmost attention to avoid further spread of the war to the Black Sea.
In addition to diplomatic initiatives, Türkiye is also active in de-mining efforts in the Black Sea, along with Romania and Bulgaria.
