Türkiye will continue to restrict the passage of warships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to prevent further escalation of tensions in the Black Sea.

“Türkiye intends to firmly maintain its position on the passage of warships through the straits. Under the current circumstances, it is particularly important to prevent any further escalation of tensions in the Black Sea,” a government representative said, according to iz.ru.

The official said that Ankara’s position aims to preserve the existing legal regime governing the straits and maintain regional stability. Türkiye will continue to comply with the Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage of warships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles.

Earlier, on October 8, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported that Ankara had proposed establishing separate maritime routes for Russian and Ukrainian merchant vessels in the Black Sea.

Under the reported proposal, the corridor for Ukrainian ships would run along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria toward the Bosphorus, while Russian vessels would follow a route along the coastlines of Georgia and Türkiye.