Turkey not to allow NATO presence in Black Sea - report

Turkey is against NATO warships being stationed in the Black Sea, the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak reports, citing sources.

The United States and France “are seeking to expand their military presence into the Black Sea,” but Turkey does not intend to abandon the restrictions set by the Montreux Convention.

According to the sources, four vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone had previously come under drone attack, and two of them were hit.

Sofia turned to NATO for military support, but Ankara views this step negatively, the newspaper reported.

"At the same time, Ankara supports steps to strengthen the security of Bulgaria and Romania, but is against the emergence of additional naval forces of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea,” a source said.

Ankara adheres to the principle that the security of the Black Sea should be ensured primarily by its coastal states, Yeni Şafak notes.

“The United States and France have been trying to expand their presence in the region for a long time, but Ankara opposes these plans and is guided by the Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage of warships through the Turkish straits,” a source said.