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Turkey warns Russia after the attack on the ship in the Black Sea

Politiko 2023-08-18 09:57:37

Turkey warns Russia after the attack on the ship in the Black Sea

Turkey has warned Moscow to avoid further escalation after a Turkish-owned supply ship was attacked last weekend by the Russian navy, the office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"After the [Russian] intervention, our interlocutors in the Russian Federation were warned in order to avoid such efforts, which escalate tensions in the Black Sea," the Turkish Presidency said, breaking several days of silence on this incident.

The Sukru Okan was sailing under the flag of Palau and was approached by a Russian warship last Sunday.

Russian military personnel then conducted inspections inside the ship and then let it sail to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. This port has become the main port for exporting agricultural products of Ukraine.

The incident came after an increase in attacks in the Black Sea region. The attacks intensified after Russia's decision last month to withdraw from the agreement allowing the safe export of Ukrainian products.

Turkey together with the United Nations had brokered the agreement last year. This was the only significant agreement that Russia and Ukraine reached at the time of the war.

But Erdogan's office was criticized for not commenting on Russia's attack on the ship in the Black Sea.

The Turkish presidency, in its response on Thursday, said it was technically Palau's responsibility to answer for the incident.

"Even if the owner of the Sukru Okan ship is Turkish, the ship is not under the flag of Turkey," said the Turkish Presidency.

"According to international law, the country where the ship is registered is more important than the name of the ship or its owner."

Palau is an archipelago in the Pacific, and the flag of this country is often used by shipping companies, as it allows them cheaper access to international ports./ REL

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