Turkey Calls for Moratorium on Black Sea Attacks
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara has formally conveyed the proposal to Kyiv and Moscow, warning that the conflict has spread to all commercial vessels.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara has formally conveyed the proposal to Kyiv and Moscow, warning that the conflict has spread to all commercial vessels.
Turkey on Saturday asked Russia and Ukraine to establish a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea. The proposal, personally conveyed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, is primarily aimed at protecting commercial vessels and energy infrastructure from increasingly frequent attacks.
In a direct interview with Turkey's official news agency Anadolu, Fidan confirmed that Ankara has formally communicated the initiative to both Kyiv and Moscow. "He called for the establishment of a mechanism that would allow the declaration of a moratorium," the agency quoted him as saying.
Turkey's top diplomat painted a worrying picture of escalation at sea. "The conflict has spread to the entire Black Sea. Initially, they targeted ports and military ships. Now they are attacking all commercial vessels, without distinction," Fidan said. He specifically noted that ships owned by Turkish nationals or sailing under the Turkish flag have also been hit.
His statement comes just a day after Turkey on Tuesday condemned drone attacks on two vessels owned by Turkish shipping companies in the Black Sea. In those incidents, according to available information, crew members were injured.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, the Turkish initiative primarily concerns the Black Sea region. The goal, as sources indicate, is to create a mechanism that would halt strikes on energy infrastructure and commercial vessels, thereby reducing navigational risks and preventing further incidents in those waters.
A photograph by Reuters photographer Victor Sayenko dated July 14, 2026, showing a civilian ship ablaze in the Black Sea, vividly illustrates the dangers Ankara is warning about. Turkey, which maintains close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, is positioning itself as a mediator in an attempt to protect freedom of navigation and its own maritime interests.
