As fighting between Russia and Ukraine intensifies and civilian merchant ships in the Black Sea suffer repeated damage, Türkiye is reportedly restricting the operation of vessels bound for the Black Sea.
Bloomberg News reported on the 8th (local time), citing multiple sources, that the Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety is not granting passage to some ships bound for Novorossiysk, a key Russian oil and grain export hub.
The Dardanelles Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus Strait, which are surrounded by Turkish territory, are the only maritime passage that connects the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
The move is seen as a response to recent attacks on Türkiye-related merchant ships in the Black Sea. On the 3rd, two Turkish merchant ships that departed Novorossiysk were hit by drone attacks, injuring several crew members, including Turkish nationals.
At the time, the Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern that the war between Russia and Ukraine was affecting civilian vessels and spreading to the Black Sea. It also urged both sides to take preventive measures, saying that if tensions in the Black Sea continue to rise, it could negatively affect not only ship safety but also food security.