The Turkish Ministry of Transport has issued a warning to shipping companies operating in the Black Sea regarding a deteriorating security situation, following an increase in attacks targeting Turkish commercial vessels in the region. According to press reports citing government
sources, Turkish authorities deem it necessary for ships heading to areas outside their sovereign territorial waters to consider potential risks. The reports clarified that any Turkish intervention in incidents occurring outside these waters could be interpreted as support from Ankara
for one side of the conflict. In a related development, Bloomberg previously reported that Turkish authorities had begun imposing restrictions on commercial navigation in the Black Sea. Additionally, the newspaper "Aydınlık" stated that permits for approximately 10 ships to depart the
Dardanelles Strait had not been issued, and a similar practice was expected to be implemented in Marmara Sea and Black Sea ports. However, this information has not been officially confirmed, nor have there been official reports of restrictions on the
passage of ships through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits into the Black Sea. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on August 8 to local media outlets that Ankara is closely monitoring the security situation for navigation in the Black Sea. He
added that Turkey had presented a proposal to the conflicting parties for a temporary cessation of military actions, including those related to the sea basin. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over the escalation of the conflict
in the Black Sea, warning that a failure to take preventive measures to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine would have serious consequences, including for global food security.
