Türkiye Weighs New Black Sea Security Measures as Shipping Attacks Escalate
Two separate safe shipping corridors could be created in the Black Sea, one for ships bound for Russia and another for those bound for Ukraine, according to Yeni Şafak columnist Yahya Bostan on August 11. The proposal is Bostan’s own, not a measure announced by Türkiye’s government.
Under his framework, both Russia and Ukraine would commit not to target the designated routes, removing the pretext each side has used to deny responsibility after strikes. He pointed to the earlier grain corridor as a working precedent, alongside a two-lane arrangement that Iran and Oman have discussed for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The idea follows remarks by Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, who addressed the attacks on commercial shipping but stopped short of announcing any corridor plan. Fidan warned that the war was entering an existential stage in which the parties might resort to their last available means.
Ankara Calls for Moratorium on Strikes
Ankara had earlier urged both Moscow and Kyiv to halt the strikes, and Fidan had called for a moratorium, though the attacks have only intensified. The push for a durable solution comes as Türkiye has already taken temporary steps. Ankara had restricted commercial traffic entering the region, and one Turkish official stated that serious security concerns had prompted interim measures.
The measures respond to a sharp July escalation in Russian strikes on Ukraine‘s ports and civilian fleet. A strike on the vessel Golden Leo killed 10 people, and attacks on the tanker Gas Lisbon and the bulker Golden Rose led shipowners to suspend calls at Odesa-area ports during the peak of the summer harvest.
Global Food Security Concerns Rise
On July 27, the UN warned that the new wave of strikes on Black Sea ports endangered global food security, noting that wheat prices had risen 20% that month to their highest level since March 2024. The escalation has already drawn Turkish interests directly into the maritime war.
In June, a Russian drone struck a Türkiye-owned dry cargo ship in the Black Sea, shortly after a high-level Turkish visit to Moscow. The strike killed one crew member and forced eight sailors, several of them Turkish, onto a life raft.
Ukraine Intensifies Operations
Ukraine has intensified its own operations in the Black and Azov Seas, striking Russian transport and shadow-fleet ships almost daily as part of a campaign to isolate temporarily occupied Crimea. The conflict has widened to civilian commercial traffic, directly affecting Turkish-owned and Turkish-flagged ships and their crews.
Despite the escalating violence, Ankara remains committed to finding a solution that ensures safe passage for shipping in the Black Sea. As the war continues to rage on, the international community will be watching closely for any developments that could bring an end to the bloodshed and restore stability to the region.
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