Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that recent military escalations in the Black Sea pose a serious threat to maritime security, urging both Russia and Ukraine to refrain from targeting commercial and civilian vessels, warning that such actions will benefit no one.

Speaking at a meeting with Turkish ambassadors in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdoğan said Türkiye has played a key role in preventing the Russia–Ukraine war from spreading into the Black Sea by strictly implementing the Montreux Convention. He noted, however, that recent reciprocal attacks have heightened risks in the region.

“Recent attacks exchanged by the parties seriously threaten maritime security,” Erdoğan said, adding that Ukraine had targeted two commercial vessels bound for a Russian port within Türkiye’s exclusive economic zone, while Russia had struck a Turkish vessel at a Ukrainian port in the past two weeks.

“Targeting commercial and civilian vessels will not benefit anyone. We convey our warnings to both sides in a clear way,” the president stated, reiterating Ankara’s call for restraint.

Türkiye closed the Black Sea to military vessels shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, exercising its authority under the 1936 Montreux Convention. Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye remains committed to ending the war through diplomatic means and is ready to contribute to peace efforts.

He said Türkiye brought Russia and Ukraine together three times in 2025, highlighting humanitarian outcomes of the Istanbul process as a success of Turkish diplomacy.

Turning to Syria, Erdoğan described the December 8 revolution as a historic turning point for the Syrian people and praised the progress made by the new administration under interim President Ahmad al-Sharra in a short period of time.

According to Erdoğan, around 580,000 Syrians have already returned to their country, a number he expects to rise as stability and living conditions improve. He reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Damascus in combating all terrorist organizations, including ISIL.

The president also called on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into the new Syrian army in line with the March 10 agreement, warning that resistance by the YPG could trigger a new crisis.

“It is clear who would benefit from the fragmentation and division of Syria, and from the weakening of its national unity and integrity,” Erdoğan said, in a reference to Israel’s recent interventions.

Addressing broader global issues, Erdoğan said ongoing conflicts worldwide, particularly what he described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza, demonstrate the collapse of the current global system. He stressed that Türkiye must remain politically, militarily, and diplomatically strong to safeguard its national interests.

Rejecting claims of a shift in foreign policy orientation, Erdoğan reiterated that Türkiye seeks to maintain relations with all countries based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

“Our goal is to establish a zone of peace and stability in our neighborhood,” he said.

On the Caucasus, Erdoğan said Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement, adding that Türkiye’s normalization process with Armenia is moving forward in parallel. He announced that Ankara plans to take symbolic steps early next year to support the normalization process. (ILKHA)