Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on Thursday that escalating attacks by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea pose a serious threat to navigational safety as winter approaches. He urged global powers to prevent the region from becoming a new conflict front.
Escalating attacks in the Black Sea threaten global trade routes, particularly for grain and energy exports, potentially impacting commodity prices and food security worldwide.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Thursday that escalating attacks by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea are endangering navigational safety as winter approaches. He urged global powers to prevent the region from becoming a new front in the conflict.
Fidan stated that both sides are conducting "tremendous attacks" to gain military superiority before winter, which seriously impacts shipping safety. He emphasized that regional countries and the international community must not allow the Black Sea to become a new conflict zone, noting that the war's effects are expanding into the region.
NATO member Turkey, which maintains relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, has repeatedly called for an end to Black Sea attacks, which have also affected Turkish-flagged vessels. Ankara is awaiting responses to its proposal aimed at halting attacks and ensuring safe grain shipments.
In late September, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the attacks on commercial vessels were "inexplicable" and that steps must be taken to stop them. Turkey and the United Nations previously mediated the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Russia withdrew from in July 2023, citing obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports. Ukraine has since increased attacks on Russian export infrastructure.
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