Turkey will use Montreux Convention to prevent escalation in Ukraine, says Erdoğan

Photo: AA

Turkey will use its authority over the Turkish Straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention to prevent the Russia-Ukraine "crisis" from further escalating, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

"Turkey has strictly fulfilled its responsibilities within the framework of the institutions and alliances with which it is involved, especially the UN, NATO, and the EU," Erdoğan said yesterday (February 28) after chairing a cabinet meeting.

He praised the "struggle of Ukraine's government and people." and called Russia's attack on Ukraine "unacceptable."

Under the convention, Turkey can stop foreign warships from going through the Turkish Straits during a war except for ships of the Black Sea states returning to their registered bases.

Erdoğan also highlighted dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, saying: "It's never too late to engage in good faith negotiations and progress (on) all issues peacefully."

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began on February 24, it has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.

In the war, more than 350 civilians have been killed and over 1,600 injured, according to Ukraine's Health Ministry. (VK)