Turkey Can Lead Ukraine’s Naval Security, Policy Expert Says

Turkey is willing to lead the naval component of an international security force in Ukraine should a peace settlement be reached, a Turkish policy expert told Ukrinform, and it may also join the air dimension of such a force

Sinan Ülgen, director of the Turkish Economic and Foreign Policy Research Center (EDAM), told state media, “In terms of the Turkish position, Türkiye is willing to take the leadership of the naval dimension of those security guarantees, and that’s understandable given its position, given the fact that it is implementing the Montreux Convention.

“And it’s also willing to contribute to the air dimension with its air policing capabilities,” Ülgen said.

The Montreaux Convention of 1936 gave Turkey maritime control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles, connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea. That control extends to not only commercial traffic, but also military vessels from both Russia and NATO, of which Turkey has been a member since 1952.

The country’s geopolitical position puts it very close to Russian hostilities in Ukraine. Last month, a Russian drone crashed in a rural area of northwestern Turkey, near the city of Izmit, about 18 miles south of the Black Sea. A second drone a day later was found in an empty field near the town of Balikesir, some three hours southwest of Istanbul. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned against the Black Sea becoming an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, and earlier this week offered to hold peace talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

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“As Turkey, we are the only player that can talk directly to both Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky, and at the same time maintain strong and balanced diplomatic contacts, taking concrete initiatives in Washington, Brussels, NATO, and the UN,” Erdogan said.

As for the deployment of Turkish troops to Ukraine as part of the international security contingent, Ülgen said that there are currently no specific discussions regarding the deployment of Turkish soldiers on Ukrainian territory.

“I think the negotiations are a bit unclear as to who would be willing, under what conditions, whether it’s going to happen before a settlement or after a settlement. But nonetheless, overall, Türkiye is willing to contribute to that package of security guarantees, primarily through the naval and air dimensions at this point,” research center director said.

At this week’s summit in Paris, where Kyiv’s allies in Europe and North America hammered out the first such security agreement for a post-ceasefire Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the end of the war and the establishment of a lasting peace are quite close.

On Wednesday in Paris, the UK and France signed a declaration of intent to deploy troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia – a move described by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the time as a “huge step forward.”

But Zelensky, when asked if he could be sure that his European allies would step in in the event of a new Russian aggression, he responded.

“I personally very much want to get a very simple answer: yes, if there is aggression again, all partners will give a strong response to the Russians. And that’s the exact question I put to all our partners. And so far I haven’t received a clear, unequivocal answer,” he told reporters.