Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu affirmed Turkey’s stance on naval passage to the black Sea. — Reuters pic
ISTANBUL, Feb 27 — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said today it was implementing an international pact on naval passage to the Black Sea.
Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits that connect the Mediterranean and Black seas and can limit the passage of warships during wartime or if threatened.
Cavusoglu made the comment in a live interview with broadcaster CNN Turk. Turkey earlier called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “war” today in a rhetorical shift that opened the way for the move. — Reuters