Turkey has rejected in recent days several requests from Russia to move military ships from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea in the midst of the invasion of Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu reported on Tuesday.
Speaking to Habertürk TV, the head of Turkish diplomacy confirmed that Russia wanted to pass four ships through the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits to access the Black Sea.
According to the Montreux Convention, signed in 1936 , Turkey must prevent the transfer of ships to the Black Sea in times of war, unless they are ships that are registered in a port on that sea.
“We do not allow four Russian ships to pass through the Bosphorus. We told the Russians politely. Russia, nor should anyone feel offended”, said the Turkish minister.
Three of the four ships requested by Russia were not based in the Black Sea, the minister specified.
According to Çavusoglu, the Russians requested the transfer of their ships for the days 27 and 28 February, that is, in the middle of the invasion.
Turkey , a NATO ally, borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, and maintains good relations with both, for which it asked for respect for the international pact on the passage from the Turkish strait to the Black Sea.
The Montreux Convention allows Ankara to stop Russian warships that they go to the Black Sea and only grants an exemption to ships that return to their bases of origin.
With information from DW.
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