President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Tuesday that recent mutual attacks in the Black Sea are seriously threatening navigation safety, adding that targeting commercial and civilian ships would not benefit anyone. He emphasized that both sides have been clearly warned on this matter.
President Erdoğan delivered remarks at the 16th Ambassadors Conference, held at the Beştepe Nation's Exhibition Hall in the capital Ankara.
Key points from President Erdoğan's statements:
In the context of the Russia–Ukraine War, we brought together both countries—each with whom we maintain special relations—three times in Istanbul this year. The humanitarian gains achieved as a result of the Istanbul Process constitute a significant success for Turkish diplomacy. In addition to the Istanbul Process, within the framework of the Ukraine war, we have led many initiatives to date—such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and prisoner exchanges—achieving concrete results in the humanitarian field.
By meticulously implementing the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, we prevented the war from spreading to the Black Sea. However, the recent reciprocal attacks pose a serious threat to maritime navigation safety in the Black Sea. Targeting commercial and civilian vessels benefits no one. We are clearly conveying our warnings on this issue to both sides.
The South Caucasus, which has long yearned for peace, is today going through a historic period. Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement. In parallel with this process, while remaining in dialogue with Azerbaijan, we are also advancing our normalization process with Armenia. God willing, some symbolic steps will be taken starting from the beginning of next year.
