Turkey’s Erdogan calls Black Sea drone strikes a ‘worrying escalation’
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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan says the attacks off Turkey's Black Sea coast threaten the safety of navigation in its territory.
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ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Dec 1 denounced drone attacks claimed by Ukraine
Two ships, the Virat and the Kairos, were rocked by explosions off Turkey’s coast late Nov 28, according to the Turkish transport ministry, with one of the two struck again early Nov 29.
A Ukrainian security source claimed responsibility for the attacks to AFP on Nov 28, believing the ships were covertly transporting Russian oil sanctioned by the West as a result of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We cannot under any circumstances accept these attacks, which threaten the safety of navigation, the environment and lives in our exclusive economic zone,” Mr Erdogan said of the strikes.
Turkey has sought to maintain relations with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, offering its services as a neutral ground for negotiations between the two sides.
It also controls the Bosphorus Strait, a key passage to the Black Sea through which much Ukrainian grain and Russian oil shipped towards the Mediterranean passes. AFP
