Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called on Russia and Ukraine to implement a mutual moratorium on attacking commercial vessels in the Black Sea, warning that the conflict is increasingly threatening international shipping. “The conflict has spread to the entire Black Sea. At first, they targeted ports and warships. Now they are attacking all merchant ships without exception,” Fidan said, according to Le Temps. “Ships belonging to Turks or flying the Turkish flag are also being hit.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Following Fidan’s remarks, Turkey began restricting the movement of commercial vessels heading toward the Black Sea. According to Bloomberg, Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety informed several ships bound for the Russian port of Novorossiysk that it is currently withholding transit permits or taking longer to process applications for passage through the Dardanelles Strait. While Novorossiysk is a primary hub for Russian oil and grain exports, some vessels were reportedly informed that the transit restrictions could also apply to ships heading for Ukrainian ports. Turkish authorities have not provided an official reason for the delays. Escalating strikes on commercial fleets Fidan’s call for a moratorium and the subsequent shipping restrictions follow a dangerous escalation in the maritime war. Earlier this week, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported that several Turkish crew members were injured during drone attacks on two Turkish vessels in the region.