Turkey warns countries not to pass warships through straits

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Turkey has warned both Black Sea and non-Black Sea countries not to pass warships through its Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 28. 

The 1936 Montreux Convention allows Turkey to limit naval transit of its straits during wartime but has a clause exempting ships returning to their registered base.

"We implemented what Montreux says, and we will do so from now on. There has been no request for passage through the straits until today," Çavuşoğlu told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Çavuşoğlu added that Turkey is implementing the Montreux Convention for the straits “to the fullest,” and will continue to do so.

“Until today, the Russians were asking whether we would implement Montreux if needed. We told them that we would strictly follow the convention,” he added.

At least four Russian ships are currently waiting on Turkey's decision to cross from the Mediterranean.

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