“Turkey is determined to use the authority conferred by the Montreux Convention on turkish strait in a way to prevent escalation of Russian-Ukrainian crisis,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a press conference on Monday evening.
Under the Montreux Convention of 1936, Turkey, a member of NATO, controls over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The pact gives Ankara the power settle transit of warships and to close the strait to foreign warships in time of war and when threatened.
“Turkey will not compromise commitments into alliances, but will not turn back from Ukraine or Russia”, Erdoğan also noted.
“Very saddened by the Ukraine-Russia war, says Turkey called on parties to solve problems by dialogue,” he also added.
Erdogan also says russian attack on Ukraine “unacceptable” and that he admires the resistance of Ukraine.
“Turkey will overcome the Ukraine-Russia crisis safely.”
