Erdoğan says Turkey will implement Montreux Convention to prevent escalation of war
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey will implement the Montreux Convention to prevent the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He also repeated that Turkey could not abandon its ties with Russia or Ukraine.
Duvar English - Reuters
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 28 repeated that Turkey could not abandon its ties with Russia or Ukraine, amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, adding Ankara would implement a pact on passage from its straits to prevent an escalation of the war.
"Turkey is determined to use the authority given by the Montreux Convention on Turkish straits in a manner to prevent escalation of the Russia-Ukraine crisis," Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
He criticized what he called the "indecisive" stance by the United States and Western powers to Ukraine's invasion, saying the approach was a sign of a failing international order.
He said Turkey would not compromise from its commitments to its alliances, including NATO, but that it could also not turn back on "national interests" in its region. He repeated that he found the Russian invasion unacceptable.
NATO ally Turkey on Feb. 27 called Russia's invasion a "war", allowing it to invoke articles under a 1936 international accord that will limit the passage of some Russian vessels from Turkish straits. Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has good ties with both.