Turkey Cancels NATO Drills in Black Sea

“We have taken on a mediating role inside this process [the Ukraine conflict] … But will Turkey be able to play this role if it gets involved in sanctions [against Russia] … And there are many who see the benefit of our non-sanctions policy, led by the European countries. We introduced the Montreux Convention, we are forced to leave our airspace open. Even going beyond the Convention, we ask Russia about the ships, there were NATO exercises that were planned in advance. We have canceled them and postponed them. That is, we play an important role,” Cavusoglu told Anadolu reporters.

The minister added that the West has some questions about Turkey over not imposing sanctions against Moscow but Ankara will not change its position, The Print reported.

The Montreux Convention of 1936 limits non-riparian warships (those not belonging to states bordering on this body of water) access to the Black Sea in terms of duration, tonnage, and armaments. If a humanitarian sealift through the Dardanelles is assembled to transport desperately needed agricultural products in Odessa for global distribution to prevent starvation and requires naval escorts, Turkey is the sole enforcer to allow or deny transit of warships.