Monday, February 28, 2022

Turkey Says War Exists in Ukraine, Allowing It to Block Russian Navy at Bosphorus

Good news! Bravo Turkey! What a surprise! For years you could not be sure whether Turkey was a NATO member on paper only!

This is the first time since World War II that Turkey invoked this measure!

"Turkey’s foreign minister said Sunday that the situation in Ukraine had become a war, a legal distinction that paves the way for Ankara to potentially ban Russian warships from entering the Black Sea through a strategic chokepoint.

Turkey’s government had said on Friday it was working to determine whether a state of war existed in the region. In wartime, Ankara can block some warships from countries involved in the conflict from accessing the Black Sea under the 1936 Montreux Convention.

“We came to the conclusion that the situation in Ukraine has transformed into a war,” said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, speaking on CNN Turk. “We will implement all articles of Montreux transparently.” ...
Ukraine asked Turkey on Thursday, the first day of the invasion, to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to Russian warships.
The request put pressure on Turkey, a NATO member that also has close ties to Russia. ..."

Turkey Says War Exists in Black Sea, Allowing It to Block Russian Navy

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