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Türkiye will continue to keep the Bosphorus and Dardanelles closed to warships amid escalating tensions in the Black Sea and is maintaining close coordination with Russia on shipping safety, a source in the Turkish government told Russian media outlet RIA Novosti on Monday.
"Türkiye intends to firmly adhere to its position on the passage of warships through the straits. In the current conditions, it is especially important not to allow further escalation of tension in the Black Sea," the source said.
"The Montreux Convention remains the key international mechanism regulating the passage of warships, and Türkiye will continue to fulfill the obligations it provides for," the source added.
The remarks come as drone attacks on merchant ships spread to Bulgarian and Romanian waters and NATO allies prepare to discuss Black Sea security, with Ankara positioning itself as a key interlocutor with both Moscow and the alliance.
The source said Türkiye's position is based on the need to preserve the straits' legal regime and ensure regional stability.
Türkiye invoked the Montreux Convention in 2022 to close the straits to the warring parties' warships.
"We maintain close contacts with the Russian side on shipping security in the Black Sea. For Türkiye it is fundamentally important that civilian vessels can safely carry out transport, and that the situation in the region does not lead to further growth of threats to crews and trade," the source told Russian media.
"Therefore, we consider it necessary to continue coordination with interested parties and seek practical solutions that will ensure the safety of maritime transport," the source added.
"President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to Vladimir Putin to visit Türkiye remains open," the source told RIA Novosti.
"High-level contacts are important for discussing issues of mutual interest, including the situation in the Black Sea and prospects for ensuring shipping security. The Turkish side expects the visit of the Russian president to take place upon agreement of the relevant arrangements," the source added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week Ankara had delivered a proposal to Russia and Ukraine to keep the Black Sea out of the war, while Türkiye's NATO envoy said Ankara was seeking a temporary, partial ceasefire for civilian shipping.
President Erdogan also raised Black Sea shipping safety with Putin in an Oct. 7 call after attacks on Turkish-owned vessels.
NATO's North Atlantic Council will discuss drone attacks on Black Sea shipping on Tuesday, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said.
"The Black Sea will be safe again," she wrote on X.
Romania said Saturday its F-16s shot down two Russian Geran-type drones about 20 kilometers southeast of Sulina. "Two drones were engaged and shot down a few minutes ago by Romanian military pilots over the Black Sea, moments after they had illegally entered our country," Defense Minister Radu Miruta wrote on Facebook.
"It is too early to prove technically that it was a Russian attack, but our intuition tells us that Russia stands to benefit from this situation of uncertainty," Romanian President Nicusor Dan said Friday.
"We have requested the full range of available capabilities, missile systems, counter-drone systems and patrol aircraft," Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said, urging Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye to develop a joint Black Sea security strategy.
"The intensity of strikes in the Black Sea is increasing every day," he said.
Bulgaria’s military prosecutor has opened a war crimes investigation into the drone attack on the Chelsea 3. At least four ships have been attacked off Bulgaria and at least two off Romania this month, as Ankara stands by its straits policy.
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