Two anonymous Turkish officials told Reuters that ships continue to transit the Bosphorus and Dardanelles into the Black Sea without interruption, despite growing safety concerns after attacks on vessels. Bloomberg reported Ankara imposed limited restrictions on commercial traffic. Turkey has urged Moscow and Kyiv to declare a moratorium on Black Sea attacks and said its temporary security measures remain consistent with the Montreux Convention.
Ships Continue Transiting Turkish Straits Despite Safety Concerns, Officials Say
FILE PHOTO: SAIPEM 7000, a semi-submersible crane vessel used for natural gas pipeline work, transits the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, August 6, 2026. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
ANKARA, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Two Turkish government officials told Reuters on Sunday that commercial and civilian vessels are continuing to transit the Turkish straits into the Black Sea without disruption, despite rising concerns about maritime safety after a series of attacks on ships in the region.
Bloomberg reported on Saturday that Ankara had imposed restrictions on some commercial vessel traffic entering the Black Sea following recent attacks on ships, including vessels registered in Turkey. Turkish officials confirmed that temporary measures were introduced but said they did not block passage broadly.
Diplomatic Appeals
Smoke and flames rise from the Turkish cargo ship Nadezhda after a drone attack, August 3, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Video Obtained By Reuters/ via REUTERS
Turkey has repeatedly warned both Moscow and Kyiv about incidents in the Black Sea and urged both sides to take steps to ensure safe navigation. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara had asked Moscow and Kyiv to declare a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea to protect civilian shipping.
Legal Framework
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, emphasized that the movement of vessels remains permissible under the 1936 Montreux Convention on the Regime of the Straits. The Montreux Convention gives Turkey authority over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, allows it to regulate the transit of naval warships, guarantees free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime, and places limits on warships from non–Black Sea states.
A drone approaches to attack the Turkish cargo ship Nadezhda, August 3, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Video Obtained By Reuters/ via REUTERS
Turkey's Balancing Act
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ankara has maintained relatively cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow. Turkey has declined to adopt many Western sanctions on Russia while providing military assistance to Ukraine, including equipment drawn from its own inventories.
The officials said they could not provide further detail on the temporary security measures. Reuters’ reporting was complemented by Bloomberg’s account of selective restrictions on commercial traffic.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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