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Turkey urges caution as Black Sea tensions threaten wider European stability
Turkey has issued a stern warning that intensifying hostilities in the Black Sea could escalate beyond the region, potentially spilling into broader European security concerns. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed that the rising military activity between Russia and Ukraine in contested waters poses significant risks for maritime safety and energy transport routes vital to international markets.
Fidan told TRT World that the ongoing escalation "is very dangerous" and may not remain confined to the region. "It could spread to different parts of Europe as well," he said, adding that recent naval incidents underline the fragility of the situation.
Maritime monitoring agencies have reported a surge in rerouted oil and cargo shipments as attacks on vessels intensify. Russian tankers now trace elongated passages along the coasts of Georgia and Turkey to avoid Ukrainian drone assaults, increasing both travel distance and operational costs. The changes in navigation patterns follow a string of Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s informal “shadow fleet” of oil carriers, prompting retaliatory bombardments on Ukrainian ports such as Odesa and Chornomorsk.
Amid growing instability, several commercial ships owned by Turkish companies have been damaged in crossfire, and drones from unidentified sides have violated Turkish airspace. Turkish fighter jets recently destroyed one such drone over the Black Sea.
The International Maritime Organization has appealed for restraint, urging all sides to cease targeting civilian mariners and port facilities. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned that escalating hostilities along vital trade corridors not only endanger lives but also heighten environmental risks due to possible oil spills and debris.
In response, Turkey has proposed a limited maritime de-escalation framework focusing on safeguarding energy routes and shipping lanes if comprehensive ceasefire negotiations fail. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s firm commitment to the Montreux Convention, emphasizing its critical role in preventing regional conflict from engulfing the wider Black Sea zone.
Turkey continues collaborating with Romania and Bulgaria to monitor drifting naval mines and unmanned surface vehicles that frequently breach coastal waters. Romania recently neutralized a Ukrainian-developed maritime drone within its borders, while authorities across the Black Sea littoral have dismantled over a hundred drifting explosive devices since the conflict began.
