Türkiye says it will block British naval ship delivering aid to Ukraine from reaching the Black Sea

A Sandown-class naval ship (Photo: Yahoo News).

Türkiye said on January 2 it would not allow two British minesweepers to pass through its waters en route to the Black Sea for use by Ukraine because this would violate an international treaty governing passage through the strait in times of war.

Last month, Britain said it would transfer two Royal Navy minesweepers to the Ukrainian navy to help bolster Ukraine's maritime operations in its standoff with Russia.

NATO member Türkiye has told its allies that it will not allow warships to pass through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits as long as the fighting in Ukraine continues.

When Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022, Turkey invoked the 1936 Montreux Convention, which bars the passage of military vessels of the belligerents through the two straits. The treaty exempts ships returning to base.

Türkiye claims to have implemented the Montreux Convention objectively and meticulously to prevent escalation in the Black Sea.

At that time, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara decided to activate the Montreux Convention and warned all countries bordering the Black Sea and not bordering the Black Sea not to allow warships to pass through Turkish waterways.

The 1936 treaty gives Türkiye the right to ban warships from using the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits in times of war, or when Ankara is threatened.

The Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits are considered gateways for ships moving from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (Graphic: Al Jazeera).

Last month, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that it would provide Ukraine with two minesweepers as part of a new maritime alliance, which also includes Norway and is aimed at making Kiev’s navy “more interoperable with NATO”.

London has committed to transferring two Sandown-class minesweepers (MCMVs) from the Royal Navy fleet.

“These minesweepers will provide vital capabilities to Ukraine, helping to save lives at sea and opening up vital export routes,” said then Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

According to the British Ministry of Defense statement, London and Oslo hope to help the Ukrainian Navy "become more compatible with Western allies, with NATO".

Mr Shapps added that the new maritime coalition would introduce a number of additional initiatives to ensure “a long-term military commitment to supporting Ukraine”.

Russia says military assistance from the West will not change the course of the conflict. Moscow has also repeatedly warned that providing weapons to Ukraine would increase the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly accused Ukraine of laying Soviet-era mines along the Black Sea coast, some of which have ended up floating in the open sea.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/tho-nhi-ky-tuyen-bo-chan-tau-hai-quan-anh-vien-tro-ukraine-toi-bien-den-20240102215321765.htm