Ankara may allow the passage of minesweepers through its straits, which Great Britain has transferred to Ukraine, because they are defense ships.
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis said Turkey’s intention to stop the transfer of two British warships to Ukraine contradicts its obligations to the Alliance, Politico reports.
A retired US admiral has reportedly called Turkey’s decision to deny passage through its straits to two Royal Navy Sandown-class ships “unfortunate”. The ships were forwarded to Kyiv to help clear Black Sea shipping routes.
According to Stavridis, Turkey “can certainly decide to allow the passage of defensive ships, such as minesweepers, in the Black Sea” because “there is sufficient freedom of action” under the Montreux Convention, and minesweepers are defensive in nature.
“This is a clear NATO position, which Turkey has agreed to as part of its role in NATO,” the admiral said.
Analyzing Turkey’s relations with Russia and the West, Stavridis noted that Ankara is “trying too hard to strike a balance and must fully rely on its role as a NATO member.”
“Russia is a dangerous aggressor state and serial violator of human rights, which threatens the Alliance every day in the air, sea, land, cyberspace and space. This is not a hard choice,” he said.
In this regard, the former commander of the Turkish Navy, Admiral Cem Gurdeniz, has responded to the criticism of his American colleague. He noted that Ankara wants to avoid “the shedding of Turkish blood” as part of a “war in the Black Sea on behalf of the United States and NATO.”
It was previously reported that the Turkish government has decided not to allow mine-hunting ships donated by Britain to Ukraine through its strait.
Erdogan is angry that Ukraine has overtaken Turkey on its way to the EU
Erdogan is angry that Ukraine has overtaken Turkey on its way to the EU
New Correspondent.net on Telegram and WhatsApp. Subscribe to our channels Athletistic and WhatsApp
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.