Ankara Calls on Russia and Ukraine to Halt Attacks
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that hostilities in the Black Sea are increasingly affecting civilian shipping, including Turkish-flagged vessels and ships owned by Turkish companies.
According to Anadolu, Ankara has asked Moscow and Kyiv to establish a mechanism for a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea. Türkiye wants both sides to commit to avoiding strikes on merchant vessels and other civilian maritime infrastructure.
The call followed several incidents involving Turkish shipping. On August 3, a drone struck the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Nadezhda near Russia’s Port of Novorossiysk. Reuters reported that three crew members were seriously injured.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was deeply concerned about attacks on civilian vessels despite repeated warnings to Moscow and Kyiv to protect navigational safety.
Türkiye Has Not Closed the Straits
Bloomberg previously reported that Turkish authorities had begun restricting the transit of some commercial vessels into the Black Sea. Several ships bound for Russian and Ukrainian ports reportedly waited for days before receiving permission to pass through the Dardanelles.
Turkish government officials subsequently told Reuters that Ankara had introduced temporary security measures rather than closing the straits. By August 9, vessels were moving through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles without significant disruption.
Civilian transit remained open under the terms of the Montreux Convention. Turkish officials did not disclose the details of the additional measures, meaning the situation should not be described as a permanent or blanket restriction on commercial shipping.
Yeni Şafak reported that some vessels heading to Russia and Ukraine had been unable to enter the straits for almost a week because of what authorities described as technical reasons. Traffic had returned to normal by the evening of August 8.
Two Safe Corridors Remain a Media Proposal
Yeni Şafak has suggested establishing two separate safe routes in the Black Sea: one for vessels sailing to Russian ports and another for ships bound for Ukraine.
Under the proposed model, Moscow and Kyiv would commit not to attack vessels operating within the designated corridors. The newspaper cited the previous UN- and Türkiye-brokered grain agreement as a possible framework.
However, the two-corridor concept has not been officially announced by the Turkish government. It is a proposal by a Yeni Şafak columnist rather than an approved initiative from Ankara.
Any practical arrangement would require the parties to agree on corridor coordinates, vessel inspections, monitoring, mine safety and procedures for investigating potential attacks. These conditions would also influence decisions by shipowners and war-risk insurers.
Possible Fishing Restrictions Are Under Discussion
Turkish media have also reported that authorities may prohibit local fishermen from operating beyond Türkiye’s territorial waters in the Black Sea. The measure is being discussed because of threats from drones, mines and other military hazards.
The government has not announced a permanent ban on fishing outside Turkish waters. For now, it remains a possible precautionary measure rather than a confirmed long-term restriction.
Ukraine Offers to Halt Attacks on Civilian Targets
As of August 14, 2026, there were signs that the moratorium proposal could be gaining momentum. Reuters reported, citing an informed source, that Ukraine had used an intermediary to send Russia an offer for both sides to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea.
Moscow had not responded at the time of the report. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Russia had not received a formal Black Sea ceasefire proposal.
The moratorium, safe corridors and other permanent security mechanisms therefore remain unagreed. The Turkish straits are open, but the stability of regional shipping will depend on the intensity of further attacks, insurance conditions and the willingness of shipowners to call at Russian and Ukrainian ports.
Read also: Shipowners Suspend Calls at Ukrainian Ports
