Turkish President Warns Of Escalating Black Sea Risks After Drone Strikes Hit Tankers Near Türkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the war between Russia and Ukraine is now directly affecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea, after unmanned vessels struck tankers close to Türkiye’s northern coast. Türkiye said these attacks were unacceptable and has issued warnings to all involved parties.

The most recent incident happened late on Friday, when the tanker Virat, which is listed as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, was hit about 35 miles off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast.

Türkiye confirmed the strike on Saturday and said it was not yet clear who carried it out.

After a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan said the conflict had begun to threaten navigational safety in the Black Sea. He added that the targeting of ships inside Türkiye’s Exclusive Economic Zone was a worrying escalation. According to him, Türkiye cannot justify such attacks and has warned all relevant sides.

His comments came after Ukraine confirmed on Sunday that it used naval drones to strike two tankers, Kairos and Virat, near Türkiye’s Black Sea coast.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, saying they put navigation, human life, property and environmental safety at risk. All crew members on both vessels were safe.

According to international reporting, both tankers appear in the OpenSanctions database as part of a fleet used to bypass sanctions placed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials defended the drone strikes as retaliation against aggressors, and said they had no intention of harming third countries.

These incidents have increased concerns among regional countries about the conflict spreading further across the Black Sea. Kazakhstan separately asked Ukraine to stop its attacks on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.

The Kazakh government said the terminal is a civilian facility protected under international law and confirmed that this was the third attack on infrastructure that handles 80 percent of its oil exports.

Türkiye has been involved in peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war, which is nearing its fourth year.

Erdogan said his government is watching new diplomatic efforts closely and is ready to help when opportunities arise. He also said Türkiye is in contact with all sides to prevent any further deterioration of security in the Black Sea, a key route for commercial and energy shipments.

The attacks come as Russia continues to sell oil through both regular shipping routes and what Western officials call a shadow fleet of unmarked tankers. Ukraine has increased strikes on energy infrastructure as part of its defence strategy, while Western countries consider more sanctions on states doing business with Russia.

Erdogan also used his Cabinet address to speak about national issues. He said Türkiye’s economy grew by 3.7 percent in the third quarter, marking 21 quarters of continuous growth. He mentioned a national initiative aimed at removing security threats and improving unity among the country’s population of 86 million.

He also confirmed that he hosted Pope Leo XIV in Ankara last week. Their discussions covered issues such as threats to family structures, rising Islamophobia in the West, Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the need to maintain humanitarian access in conflict areas. They also talked about cooperation under the Alliance of Civilisations initiative.

References: turkiyetoday, alarabiya english

Source: Maritime Shipping News