Turkey in the Black Sea: Is a Balancing Act Still Possible?

JOINT Brief no. 18
Publication date: 08/2022
Author:
Çiğdem Üstün, Associate Professor in the International Relations Department at Nişantaşı University, Istanbul, and Secretary General of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM).
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JOINT Brief 18 (August 2022)

Turkey has placed efforts towards establishing amicable relations with Russia while being a part of the Western alliance. 

Just after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Turkey’s position in the region and the possible closure of the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits became one of the main debated issues. According to the 1936 Montreux Convention, which regulates maritime traffic through the Black Sea, Turkey has the right to prevent warships crossing the Straits, giving Turkey considerable power in the region.

According to the Convention, Turkey must guarantee freedom of passage for all civilian and commercial vessels during peace time. However, in war time, there are several articles regulating the passage of commercial and military vessels depending on Turkey’s position in the war, i.e., whether it is a belligerent country or not, and whether it considers itself under threat or not.