Turkey Rejects to Limit Russian Warship Movement in Bosphorus, Dardanelles

Bosphorus bridge, which links the city's European and Asian sides, is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Bosphorus bridge, which links the city's European and Asian sides, is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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Turkey Rejects to Limit Russian Warship Movement in Bosphorus, Dardanelles

Bosphorus bridge, which links the city's European and Asian sides, is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Bosphorus bridge, which links the city's European and Asian sides, is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkey cannot stop Russian warships accessing the Black Sea via its straits, as Ukraine has requested, due to a clause in an international pact that allows vessels to return to their home base, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

Ukraine has appealed to Turkey to block Russian warships from passing through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits.

The minister said Turkey, not being belligerent, can take “some measures regarding the countries that are parties to the war.”

“Turkey can stop the passage of warships through the straits. However, there is something special in the Montreux Convention. If there is a request for the ships of the warring countries to return to their bases, then they must be allowed.”

“Turkey is transparently following all clauses of the Montreux treaty with determination. This has been the case until today and Turkey will continue to strictly abide by the clauses of this treaty,” Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop affirmed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later said that reaction from NATO and Western countries to Russia's assault had not been decisive.

"It should not turn into an ordinary flurry of condemnation. NATO should have taken a more decisive step," Erdogan said Friday.

"The EU and all Western mentalities did not show a seriously determined stance, they are all constantly advising Ukraine. It is not possible to get anywhere with advice. When you look at the steps taken, there are no steps taken."

Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed Thursday Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in a phone call, a statement said.

Erdogan and Macron discussed the intervention and the latest developments, the Turkish Communications Directorate said.

The Turkish President hosted Thursday a large delegation from the Union of International Democrats (UID).

Erdogan said Russia is violating international law and that a solution must be found within the framework of the Minsk agreements.

In a related context, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Thursday over the phone with the Turkish Foreign Minister.

Blinken strongly condemned Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine. 

Blinken thanked Turkey for its strong and vocal support in defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Secretary further emphasized that Russia’s destructive actions will reverberate throughout Europe and the broader world.

Moreover, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held a phone call with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

Akar also held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov.



EU Sanctions Iranian Individuals Accused of Targeting Dissidents

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU Sanctions Iranian Individuals Accused of Targeting Dissidents

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The EU has imposed sanctions on eight people and one entity responsible for the targeting of Iranian dissidents for assassination on behalf of Iran's government, the European Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

The sanctions, over what it called "serious human rights violations" and "transnational repression", included asset freezes and travel bans, the council said.

The Council listed the Zindashti Network, which it said was a criminal group uconnected to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security that has carried out numerous acts of transnational repression, including assassinations of Iranian dissidents, Reuters reported.

It also included the Zindashti Network's boss Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti - who it said was an Iranian narcotics trafficker and organised crime boss - and some of his associates. Zindashti and his network have previously been sanctioned by the United States.

The Council, the European Union's governing body, is also targeting Mohammed Ansari, the leader of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Unit 840, who it said ordered the assassination of journalists critical of the Iran.

It said that the listings confirmed the EU’s concerns about transnational repression by Iranian state bodies through the use of proxy agents, in particular involving criminals and organised crime networks targeting dissidents and human rights defenders across the world, including on EU territory.