Attacks on commercial vessels in Turkey’s exclusive economic zone are undermining maritime security in the Black Sea and risk turning the region into a restricted zone for trade and civilian movement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said following a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels.
In comments shared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan noted that recent incidents targeting cargo ships pose “a direct threat to the security of navigation in the Black Sea,” stressing that such actions effectively close the area to commerce.
Fidan said he discussed the situation with his counterparts from Bulgaria and Romania. The three NATO member states had earlier established a joint mine-clearing initiative to improve maritime safety.
“We are doing everything within our power,” he said. “Ensuring the security of shipping routes, pipelines, energy corridors, and fiber-optic lines is essential. This also affects offshore energy exploration and fishing. In wartime conditions, states cannot fully benefit from economic opportunities – instead, they face heightened risks.”
The minister did not disclose the specific decisions taken but said cooperation would continue intensively.
Turkey’s Ministry of Transport reported Tuesday that the tanker Midvolga 2, carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia, was attacked 80 nautical miles off Turkey’s coast. The vessel, with 13 crew members onboard, is now heading toward the port of Sinop.
Earlier reports confirmed that two tankers under the Gambian flag – Kairos and Virat – issued distress signals on November 28 while traveling toward Russia without cargo, located 28 and 38 nautical miles off the Turkish shore.
On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the attacks represent a dangerous escalation of the Ukraine conflict and are impossible to justify under any circumstances.
