Turkish President commented on Ukraine’s targeting of Russian oil tankers in Turkish waters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on Monday on Ukraine’s targeting of Russian oil tankers in Türkiye’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.

In his remarks after chairing a meeting of the Turkish government on Monday at the presidential complex in the capital, Ankara, Erdogan touched on the Russia-Ukraine war, warning that it has reached a stage that has clearly threatened the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

Erdogan added: “The targeting of commercial vessels in our exclusive economic zone indicates a worrying escalation”.

“We cannot in any way justify attacks that threaten the safety of navigation, lives and the environment, especially in our exclusive economic zone,” the Turkish president said.

The Turkish president added: “We issue the necessary warnings to all parties regarding such situations… We’re also closely following the movement that took place in recent weeks with the aim of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, and we confirm our readiness to make the necessary contribution”.

On the other hand, the Turkish president reiterated that Türkiye’s full membership in the European Union remains a strategic priority despite the challenges”.

The Turkish president stressed that his country maintains its status as an island of stability, peace and security despite all the challenges surrounding it.

“Our region has had enough of blood, conflict, terrorism, and blind violence in which a neighbor kills his neighbor… This fact cannot be changed by interim calculations, and the recklessness of those who have been planted in our region from abroad cannot affect it,” he said.

Erdogan pointed out that the world is going through a fragile period, in which the world system is witnessing cracks, saying, “When we look at our immediate surroundings, we see wars, conflicts, tensions and political and economic upheavals that never disappear”.

Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attacks after explosions targeted two ships in the Black Sea.

An official of Ukraine’s security service said that Ukrainian drones targeted two tankers belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea.