Warships Blocked from the Bosphorus StraitsThe Turkish government has closed the Dardanelles and Bos

Warships Blocked from the Bosphorus Straits

The Turkish government has closed the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits to warships, calling on world governments to honor the Montreux Convention, a 1936 international pact which states Turkey has the right to limit transit of warships during times of war. 

The strategically-valuable straits connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and lie in Turkish territory. Russia’s only warm-water naval ports lay on the Black Sea, meaning the Russian navy relies on the straits for year-round international access. By activating the Montreux Convention on Sunday, Turkey has officially recognized the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a war. 

During peacetime, this convention guarantees free passage for civilian and trade vessels. So far no countries have requested naval access through the straits since Turkey’s declaration.

References:  Reuters,Washington Post,Naval News,Indian ExpressGraphic Source: Al Jazeera,American Geographical Society