ANKARA – Turkey is calling for concrete measures to protect civilian navigation in the Black Sea as attacks on commercial vessels increase the risks for regional shipping.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea were inexplicable and that steps should be taken to stop them, according to the Turkish presidency.
Erdoğan also reiterated Turkey’s readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war with a lasting peace and to support renewed direct negotiations.
The security concerns come after Turkish-owned civilian vessels were targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles after leaving Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said several crew members, including Turkish nationals, were injured.
Reuters reported on Thursday on Erdoğan’s meeting with Zelenskiy, citing the Turkish presidency. TRT World separately reported the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement on the attacks on the Turkish-owned vessels.
PressEuropa focuses on international developments with particular relevance to Europe and Türkiye.
Comments