Turkey warns countries not to pass warships through straits

[inanna]

Source: Reuters

February 28, 2022
2:27 PM EST

ANKARA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Turkey has warned both Black Sea and non-Black Sea countries not to pass warships through its Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was reported as saying on Monday.

The 1936 Montreux Convention allows Turkey to limit naval transit of its straits during wartime but has a clause exempting ships returning to their registered base.

"We implemented what Montreux says, and we will do so from now on. There has been no request for passage through the straits until today," the state news agency Anadolu reported Cavusoglu as saying.

At least four Russian ships are currently waiting on Turkey's decision to cross from the Mediterranean.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-warns-countries-not-pass-warships-through-straits-2022-02-28/

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2h ago
20:25

More on Turkey banning all warships from crossing the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits leading to the Black Sea from the Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson:

Turkey controls the straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention, which stipulates that in a time of war Turkey may block access to warships belonging to states bordering the Black Sea, providing they are not returning to their permanent bases there.

Turkish officials including Çavuşoğlu declared yesterday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine constitutes a war, a shift in tone after officials previously described it as a “military operation,” even while condemning Russia’s actions.

According to the convention, Black Sea nations must notify Turkey eight days in advance of their warships, including submarines, transiting the straits while warships belonging to other nations require 15 days notice. The decision to block ships could affect an estimated 16 Russian warships and submarines currently in the Mediterranean, some of which are part of their Black Sea fleet.

cont'd...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/28/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-update-conflict-belarus-putin-nuclear-deterrence-order-kyiv-russian-invasion-live-updates?page=with:block-621d2d228f08a5262b543a64#block-621d2d228f08a5262b543a64