Turkey calls Black Sea war escalation ‘unacceptable’

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that the expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war into the Black Sea, putting the lives of Turkish citizens and the operations of Turkish companies at risk, is “unacceptable”.

Turkey calls the Russian aggression against Ukraine and Kyiv’s counteroffemsive “Russia-Ukraine war”, a term many countries do not accept.

Ankara has stepped up calls for a security arrangement in the Black Sea as attacks on civilian vessels increase, warning that the geographical expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war risks further destabilising the region and damaging trade, energy security and the environment.

Fidan made the remarks at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku. He said Turkey had made significant efforts since the beginning of the war to prevent the Black Sea from becoming a theatre of military operations.

“The expansion of the war into the Black Sea, which threatens the lives of our citizens and the operations of our companies, is unacceptable,” he stressed.

According to the Turkish foreign minister, Ankara had until recently managed to prevent such an escalation through the strict implementation of the Montreux Convention regulating the Bosphorus traffic in war conditions and its role in establishing the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

“However, in recent months, the increasing attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea have seriously damaged the security of people and property, as well as shipping and the environment in the region. Unfortunately, Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors have also lost their lives in these attacks. May Allah have mercy on them. I extend my condolences and wish patience to their families,” Fidan said.

He said Turkey had issued the necessary warnings to the warring parties and believed common ground could be found if there was political will and both sides acted in good faith.

Ankara is left alone?

Fidan said Ankara had stepped up its efforts to reach a security agreement for the Black Sea and had taken the necessary initiatives to help end the war. The Turkish foreign minister also warned of the risk of the war spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders.

“From time to time, statements are made not only about the Black Sea, but also about the possibility of the war spreading to other European countries. God forbid, we do not even want to think about that, let alone say it out loud,” he said.

“The geographical expansion of the war is the last thing we want to see,” Fidan stressed.

“Throughout the four and a half years since the beginning of the war, even when we were sometimes left alone in the European context, our position has always been the same. This is a war that should never have started, that must not expand and that must end immediately,” he added

He said there had been calls for the parties to agree not to attack energy infrastructure and to declare a moratorium on such strikes. The UN, the U.S., Turkey and a number of other countries are working towards that goal.

“We are talking to the parties, we have proposals and we have received their responses. We are working to bring their positions closer together in order to reach a common understanding,” Fidan said.

According to Fidan, over the past year the conflict had shifted from a war of attrition to a war of destruction.

“There is no longer any place that is not being targeted. Apart from the deliberate targeting of densely populated residential areas, all commercial facilities, infrastructure and other installations are under attack. We are also seeing a continuous increase in civilian casualties,” he said.

Fidan warned that the conflict was likely to escalate in terms of its geographical scope, of the methods being used and of the targets chosen.

“This must stop in order to prevent further escalation and an even greater catastrophe. I believe that after four and a half years of war, the parties are now closer to recognising this necessity. It is precisely now that mediators such as us must find the right formulas, words and methods to persuade them to reach an agreement,” he said.

A series of attacks against Turkish vessels

The Turkish diplomatic warning follows a series of attacks on Turkish-linked civilian vessels in the Black Sea this year. On 26 March, the Turkish-operated tanker Altura was struck by a maritime drone shortly after leaving Russia’s Novorossiysk port, although neither Moscow nor Kyiv claimed responsibility.

On 5 June, the Turkish-flagged fishing vessel Duru 67 was attacked west of Sevastopol, killing one sailor and injuring four others, again without a confirmed attribution. On 22 June, the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Victress was hit by a Russian drone strike while sailing towards Ukraine, with one crew member reportedly killed.

The attacks intensified in August after the Turkish-owned Nadezhda was struck by a drone near Novorossiysk on 3 August, injuring three crew members, while another Turkish civilian vessel, Yaşar, was also targeted in the same area.

Turkey urges Russia and Ukraine to safeguard Black Sea shipping

On 26 August, the Turkish-operated container ship Lider Bordo Mavi was hit off Russia’s Black Sea coast, followed a day later by an attack on Lider Kocatepe, which had been sent to assist the first vessel.

Turkey subsequently summoned Ukraine’s ambassador over the two August incidents, while Kyiv denied deliberately targeting civilian shipping and called for responsibility to be established on the basis of technical evidence.

U.S. urges Kyiv to halt attacks on non-Russian tankers after Black Sea drone strikes

Sources: Reuters, BGNES

Caption: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart al-Shaibani at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria, 13 September 2026. The ministers discussed energy cooperation, border security, and an upcoming visit by Turkish President Erdogan. EPA/MOHAMED AL RIFAI