At the same time, Turkey cannot block the access of all Russian warships to the Black Sea due to the provision of the pact, freeing those who return to their registered base.

photo REUTERS

Turkey changed its rhetoric, calling Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Sunday a “war” and vowed to honor parts of the international Montreux Pact that restricts the transit of Russian warships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

According to Reuters , Kiev has turned to Ankara with a request to block the entry of Russian ships into the Black Sea, from which Moscow launched an invasion of the southern coast of Ukraine. At least six Russian warships and a submarine passed through Turkey’s straits this month.

“This is no longer just a couple of airstrikes, the situation in Ukraine is officially a war… We will implement the Montreux Convention,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

It is noted that Ankara in recent days called the Russian attack unacceptable, but until Sunday did not describe the situation in Ukraine as a war.

The change in rhetoric allows Turkey to enforce the articles of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which allows it to restrict maritime transit through the Dardanelles and Bosporus in time of war or in the event of a threat.

But Cavusoglu reiterated that Turkey could not block all Russian warships from accessing the Black Sea due to a clause in the pact releasing those who return to their registered base.

“There should be no abuse of this dismissal. Vessels that claim to return to their bases and pass through the straits should not participate in the war,” Cavusoglu said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on February 26, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Turkey had closed the passage of Russian warships to the Black Sea.

(C)UNIAN 2022