Turkey has threatened Russia and Ukraine with legal action in response to any further attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.
This was stated by Turkey’s Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Reuters reports.
According to the minister, commercial vessels in the Black Sea are being hit by drones and are also suffering from mines during the war.
“We are following with concern the intense attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea and call on the parties to act prudently, adhering to the principle of navigational safety on the high seas,” Güler said.
He also said that on Wednesday another merchant vessel was struck by three drones off the coast of Bulgaria. It was a Greek container ship sailing under the Liberian flag. Who carried out the attack is currently unknown.
“We also reserve all legal rights regarding attacks on vessels flying the Turkish flag or those belonging to Turkey, and we are monitoring developments very closely,” the minister stressed.
He said Turkey is constantly issuing both sides with the necessary warnings, urging them to keep commercial shipping out of the conflict zone and to immediately stop attacks on civilian vessels.
Ankara is awaiting responses from Russia and Ukraine to its proposal aimed at halting the escalating attacks and ensuring the safe transport of grain from the region.
Since July, Ukraine has stepped up strikes on vessels and infrastructure that support Russia’s exports of oil and grain. This came after Russia intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s main grain ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.
In late September, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Russia’s and Ukraine’s attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea were incomprehensible and that steps needed to be taken to stop them.
Güler also said that Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, which jointly conduct a Black Sea demining operation, agreed on the importance of strengthening the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.