Soviet Union–Turkey relations

Turkey is seeking to pack as much as it can into the agenda of the crucial NATO Summit in Vilnius in July. It is not just the trade-offs Ankara hopes to get for agreeing to Sweden's induction into the Alliance or its claims concerning the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.

In line with a new mandate, transit fees imposed on international vessels passing through the Turkish straits will be $4.42 per net ton as of July 1, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu has announced.

The third countries, particularly the NATO allies, should better not demand to send their warships to the Black Sea during the war between Ukraine and Russia, the Turkish defense minister has said, warning them not to turn the Black Sea into an area of competition.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has expressed concerns about the escalation of tension in the Black Sea, warning that the parties should refrain from the provocations amid continued quarrel between Ukraine and Russia over the Donbas crisis.

In their letter, 104 retired admirals said it was “worrying” to open the Montreux treaty up to debate, calling it an agreement that “best protects Turkish interests”

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has criticized a joint declaration signed by 126 retired ambassadors who said that the proposed Kanal Istanbul project may bring the validity of the 1936-dated Montreux Convention into question to the disadvantage of the Turkish interests.

The US has begun making the necessary preparations to sail a warship into the Black Sea, a move that comes amid heightened tensions in the region following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships and detention of Ukrainian sailors.