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Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) stated that there will be "no compromise" on the Montreux Convention.
The ministry detailed the establishment of four military headquarters, three naval and one land, that position Ankara as a central player in both NATO's evolving command structure and Black Sea security architecture.
"Türkiye's fundamental strategy toward the Black Sea is based on preserving the balance and stability provided by the Montreux Straits Convention and ensuring that littoral states take the primary role in line with the principle of regional ownership," the ministry said at its weekly press briefing.
"There is no question of compromising on the Montreux Convention. All efforts are conducted accordingly," the ministry noted.
The ministry added that Türkiye, a NATO member since 1952, possesses the alliance's second-largest military and holds significant responsibilities within NATO's command and force structure.
The ministry detailed plans for five combined task forces established under NATO in 2024, covering the Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Türkiye will host and command CTF-Black Sea, the Black Sea task force, until 2028, in line with the regional ownership principle.
After 2028, the hosting and command role will rotate to fellow Black Sea littoral allies Romania and Bulgaria based on their proposals, the ministry said.
Only Turkish personnel are currently serving at the headquarters, with core staffing underway.
Separately, the ministry said the Multinational Corps Headquarters-Türkiye (MNC-TUR) is being established in Adana. The headquarters was conceived under NATO regional plans to coordinate Türkiye's defense with NATO forces and command assigned units when necessary.
"Türkiye's national authorities approved its transformation into a multinational structure and notified NATO in 2024, but multinational headquarters status has not yet been approved," the ministry said.
Only core personnel assignments have been made, all currently Turkish, the ministry noted.
The ministry also detailed Türkiye's role in the Ukraine Volunteers Coalition, a non-NATO multinational initiative in which 33 countries have expressed interest in participating. The coalition is planning security arrangements for a potential post-war settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The coalition's Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U) is to be managed through an operational headquarters established with core personnel in Paris. Türkiye will lead the Maritime Component Command (MCC) to preserve security and stability, maintain the regional ownership principle, and safeguard the balance established by the Montreux Convention.
At a meeting in Ankara on April 15-16, 2025, participants agreed that Türkiye would continue leading maritime planning and that the Montreux Convention's legal framework would serve as the basis for all plans.
The MCC headquarters was established on Aug. 25, 2025, with an entirely Turkish core staff. Fourteen countries have pledged contributions, but naval platforms will be provided only by the three Black Sea littoral states, Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria.
The ministry also described a mine countermeasures task force established by Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria outside the NATO force structure.
Founded through a memorandum signed on Jan. 11, 2024, and first activated on July 1, 2024, the task force conducts mine-search operations in the Black Sea and contributes to the security of critical underwater infrastructure.
Command and headquarters duties rotate among the three countries in six-month periods. The task force is currently in its ninth activation period under Turkish command.
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