Erdogan warns Russia and Ukraine over Black Sea shipping attacks 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Russia and Ukraine on December 16 that attacks on commercial and civilian vessels in the Black Sea serve no one’s interests, addressing the 16th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara after recent strikes threatened maritime security in the region.

The warning followed multiple attacks on Turkish-linked vessels, including a Russian drone strike on the Turkish cargo ship Viva on December 13 and a missile attack on the Turkish-owned Cenk T at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port on December 11, both of which occurred as tensions escalated in the Black Sea amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Turkey has strictly enforced the Montreux Convention since February 2022 to prevent the war from spreading to the Black Sea and has facilitated humanitarian initiatives including the Black Sea Grain Initiative and prisoner exchanges between the warring parties.