Türkiye on Monday marked the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, reaffirming its commitment to implementing the landmark treaty, which it described as a cornerstone of peace, security, and stability in the Black Sea region.

In a press statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Montreux Convention, signed in Montreux, Switzerland, on July 20, 1936, reaffirmed Türkiye's sovereignty over the Turkish Straits and has been administered with impartiality, transparency, and diligence for nine decades.

"The Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, signed at Montreux on 20 July 1936, affirming Türkiye's sovereignty over the Turkish Straits, which are its internal waters, has been implemented by Türkiye with impartiality, transparency, and diligence for 90 years," the ministry said.

The ministry described the convention as one of the principal guarantees of peace, security, and stability in the Black Sea, noting that it has consistently demonstrated its importance during both peacetime and periods of conflict.

According to the statement, the treaty has maintained its validity over the decades and continues to provide the legal framework governing the passage of merchant vessels and warships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles, two strategically significant waterways linking the Black Sea with the Mediterranean.

"The Convention, one of the principal guarantees of peace, security, and stability in the Black Sea, has consistently maintained its validity and proven its value in times of both peace and war," the ministry added.

The Montreux Convention grants Türkiye authority over the Turkish Straits while establishing rules regulating naval transit, including restrictions on the passage of warships belonging to non-Black Sea states. The treaty has gained renewed international attention in recent years amid heightened tensions in the Black Sea following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

Since the start of the war, Türkiye has invoked provisions of the convention to limit the transit of warships through the Turkish Straits, a move Ankara has said is consistent with its obligations under international law and aimed at preventing further escalation in the region.

Reiterating Ankara's longstanding position, the Foreign Ministry stressed that Türkiye would continue implementing the treaty in accordance with its provisions.

"Türkiye will continue to implement the Montreux Convention with the same resolve as it has done to date," the ministry said.

The Montreux Convention remains one of the most significant international agreements governing maritime access to the Black Sea and continues to play a central role in regional security and international maritime law. (ILKHA)