Turkey proposes Black Sea shipping security mechanism after attacks

Turkey has proposed a mechanism to safeguard navigation in the Black Sea following attacks targeting Turkish vessels.

Ankara has also decided to impose restrictions on the movement of commercial ships entering the Black Sea, according to officials cited by Bloomberg. The decision comes amid growing concerns over security risks from ongoing Russian-Ukrainian attacks.

Turkish authorities have notified several ships bound for Russia’s Novorossiysk port—a key hub for oil and grain exports—that transit permits for these voyages are currently not being issued.

Turkey explained that these measures are necessary to allow sufficient time to review transit requests through the Dardanelles Strait.

A number of crew members, including Turkish nationals, were injured after drone attacks targeted two Turkish-owned vessels. Turkey has called on all relevant parties to take urgent and concrete steps to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, warning that further escalation could have wide-ranging negative consequences, including for food security.