Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria are planning their first major joint operation to clear mines, after each country had previously cleared detected mines on its own. The defence ministers of the three countries are planning a signing ceremony in Istanbul on 11 January.
Bosphorus bottleneck. Turkey has exercised control since 1936. Source: NASA
Although the three countries are NATO allies, this is not a NATO operation. Turkey rejects the presence of naval units from other NATO countries in the Black Sea, arguing that they could further fuel tensions in the region. But of course Turkey would ask its allies for help if it was needed, according to the Turkish defence minister. The mines were also deployed in the Black Sea in the course of the Russian war in Ukraine and pose a real threat both to the coasts of the neighbouring countries and to the Turkish strait on the Bosporus; an important trade route, not only for grain exports, but for all ships in the area.
The Marineforum already reported on mine clearance operations in the Black Sea a year ago on 25 January 2023.
It is therefore fitting that the British government has sold two Sandown-class minesweepers (GRP, 600 tonnes, 52.5 metres long) to Romania. HMS BLYTHE was already sold in 2021, HMS PEMBROKE is due to follow this year. In this respect, Romania will certainly receive authorisation from Turkey for passage through the Bosporus.
Ukraine also took delivery of two Sandown-class ships in July 2023. It will be interesting to see how Turkey behaves towards the warring party Ukraine when the two minehunters apply for passage to their home port.
HMS BANGOR, M109, one of formerly 12 Sandown-class minesweepers, in service with the Royal Navy since 1999. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Contract law
The right to close the strait is governed by the Treaty of Montreux, which was signed on 20 July 1936. Turkey was granted exclusive sovereign rights to the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus, international rights of passage were regulated and the right for Turkey to close the strait in the event of war was established. The signatory states were Turkey, Great Britain, France, Japan, the USSR, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Yugoslavia. Italy joined the agreement in 1938.
See also the article in Marineforum from 02.03.2022
Source: gCaptain
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