Turkey will not let through the Black Sea straits the minesweepers that were transferred by the UK to Ukraine. This was reported by the centre for combating disinformation at the communications department of the presidential administration of the Republic of Turkey.
The ministry said that Turkey would not allow ships received by Ukraine from the UK to enter the waters of the Black Sea. It added that under the 1936 Montreux Convention, warships are prohibited from passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits during military conflicts.
“The claim by some media that mine detectors gifted to Ukraine by the UK were allowed to pass through the Turkish straits into the Black Sea is not true. Turkey <…> closed the straits to warships of the warring parties (Russia and Ukraine – ed.) in accordance with Article 19 of the Montreux Straits Convention,” the statement reads.
The press service emphasised that Turkey has been adhering to the principled position on the given document throughout the duration of the conflict in Ukraine in order to avoid escalation in the Black Sea.
In December, Britain handed over two ships to Kiev, which are now on their way to their new home port. The Turkish military has banned the minesweepers from passing through their straits in the Black Sea.