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Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the ambassadors of Ukraine and the charge d’affaires of Russia to the Foreign Ministry to express concern over a recent string of drone attacks on commercial vessels near its coastline in the Black Sea, according to the local reports.
The move follows a series of maritime incidents that Ankara considers an alarming escalation in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with attacks now occurring increasingly closer to Turkish territorial waters.
During separate meetings at the Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian Ambassador Nariman Celal and Russian charge d’affaires Aleksei Ivanov were formally briefed on Türkiye’s concerns. Officials stressed the potential consequences of continued hostilities near Türkiye’s maritime boundary, especially within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
On Tuesday, the Russian-flagged Midvolga 2 cargo vessel was hit by a drone while sailing 80 nautical miles off the Turkish coast, sustaining minor damage. The attack came just days after two tankers—Kairos and Virat—were struck last week at distances of 28 and 38 nautical miles from Türkiye, respectively.
While no casualties were reported, the proximity of the strikes to Türkiye’s maritime boundary has raised concerns in Ankara, which has maintained diplomatic engagement with both sides of the war.
Commenting on the developments, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned this week that such attacks represent a dangerous intensification of the war and "cannot be justified."
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli stated last week that the Kairos and Virat attacks occurred within Türkiye’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea. He warned that such incidents pose serious threats to navigational safety, human life, property, and the environment.
Keceli emphasized that Türkiye is deeply concerned by the developments and continues diplomatic efforts with relevant parties to prevent the war from expanding across the Black Sea and to safeguard the country’s economic interests and maritime operations.
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