Amid heightened tensions in the Black Sea, Ankara will continue to bar warships from passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. A source in Turkey's cabinet told RIA Novosti this.
The agency's interlocutor explained this position by the need to preserve the established legal regime of the straits and ensure stability in the region.
According to him, the Montreux Convention remains the key international mechanism regulating the passage of warships, and Turkey will continue to fulfill the obligations it provides for.
Earlier, the pro-government newspaper T?rkiye wrote that a number of NATO countries are pressuring Ankara, seeking freer passage of warships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The publications noted that this issue has gained additional urgency amid the Ukrainian conflict and risks to shipping.
Since 2022, Ankara has used the powers granted by the Montreux Convention and closed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles to the passage of warships. The country's Defense Ministry has repeatedly noted that this ensured stability in the region.