Black Sea Shipping Moves Smoothly Through Turkish Straits Despite Security Fears

Commercial maritime traffic through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea continues to move smoothly under the terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkish government officials said, dismissing reports of major disruptions following recent attacks on civilian vessels in the waterway.

The clarification came after Bloomberg News reported that Turkey had placed restrictions on commercial ships entering the Black Sea following strikes on vessels, including Turkish-owned carriers. Two Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that temporary security measures had been put in place due to prolonged safety concerns, but affirmed that passage remains open and regulated under maritime law.

Ankara Urges Strike Moratorium

Amid escalating maritime friction, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Ankara has urged both Moscow and Kyiv to agree to an immediate moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea to safeguard international shipping corridors.

The plea follows an incident confirmed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, in which the civilian cargo ships Yasar and Nadezhda were attacked after departing the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The strikes left multiple crew members injured, including Turkish nationals.

Strategic Control of the Straits

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention of the Regime of the Straits, Turkey exercises sovereign control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. The accord guarantees the free transit of civilian merchant vessels during peacetime, while giving Ankara the authority to regulate warships and restrict naval vessels belonging to non-Black Sea nations.

Turkey, which possesses NATO's second-largest military, has maintained relations with both Russia and Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Ankara has declined to participate in Western sanctions against Russia while simultaneously providing military hardware to Ukraine from its own defense inventory.