ISTANBUL, August 12. /TASS/. Turkey will not make concessions regarding the Montreux Convention and will not allow military ships into the Black Sea amid the Ukraine conflict, Turkish expert on international relations Canan Tercan told TASS.
Omer Celik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party, earlier reported that several NATO allies had approached Ankara seeking possible waivers to the convention. However, he added that Turkey remains firmly committed to complying with the treaty.
"Despite increasing international pressure, it is unrealistic to expect Turkey to make concessions regarding the Montreux Convention and open the Black Sea for military vessels. For Turkey, the convention is not just a regulation of maritime traffic through the [Bosporus and Dardanelles] straits, but an essential framework for maintaining security and strategic balance in the region," the expert heading the IAU Politics Academy at Istanbul’s Aydin University said. She recalled that the Turkish Foreign Ministry has repeatedly and clearly stated its position on adhering to the convention. "Reviewing the principle of regional responsibility and the Montreux Convention is out of the question," Tercan emphasized, while commenting on today’s situation.
