Turkey may close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits for the passage of warships, but even in this situation, the Russian Federation will have the right to use them to return the fleet to its base., Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.
"Ukraine has made an official request to us [to close the straits for the passage of Russian warships]. The provisions of the Montreux Convention are very clear and precise. Until today, Turkey has not hesitated to comply with the Montreux Convention. In a war in which Turkey is not a party, measures may be taken against the countries involved. Turkey can restrict the passage of warships through the straits. However, the Montreux Convention also stipulates that the ships of countries participating in the war can return to their bases and they should be allowed to do so," the Hürriyet newspaper quotes the minister as saying.
According to Cavusoglu, Turkish experts are studying the issue and if "martial law is officially adopted, this process will begin." "If we adopt it, we will prohibit the passage of warships, but Russia will have such a right [to return ships to its bases]. Of course, for all this, Turkey must characterize Russia's attack as a 'war,'" the republic's foreign minister explained.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar urged Ankara to limit the passage of Russian warships through the Turkish straits.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: MFA RF
Based on materials TASS