Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria have joined forces in response to the threat of floating mines in the Black Sea.
The reason for this coordinated effort is the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Turkish Defense Ministry officially announced this collaboration on Wednesday.
Although the details of their plan to address the floating mine issue have not been disclosed, the ministry made it clear that discussions on this matter took place during the NATO Defense Ministers meeting held in Brussels.
Concerns over the use of sea mines to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea have been mounting. Last week, the British government raised alarm by suggesting that Russia might resort to deploying these mines, including placing them along the approach to Ukrainian ports.
Both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of planting mines off the Ukrainian coast.
This is not the first time that these countries have come together to tackle the issue of floating mines. In April 2022, representatives from Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Poland, and Ukraine engaged in discussions on clearing the Black Sea of these dangerous hazards.
Furthermore, in a broader regional context, Türkiye is actively involved in a collaborative effort with the United Nations, Ukraine, and Russia to rekindle the Black Sea grain initiative, which had been abandoned by Moscow earlier this year. This initiative aims to enhance agricultural trade and cooperation among Black Sea nations.
Breaking News Turkey with Reuters