ANKARA: Turkey has warned Russia to avoid further escalations following a Turkish-owned cargo ship was attacked by the Russian navy last Sunday, Ankara said on Thursday.
In a statement, Erdogan’s office said, “After the Russian intrusion, our interlocutors in Russia were warned properly to avoid such attempts, which intensify tensions in the Black Sea.” AFP reported that the Sukru Okan ship was fired by the Russian navy last Sunday.
Ankara Warns Moscow After Black Sea Vessel Attack
Russian army personnel then boarded the vessel to conduct an inspection before letting it sail on toward Izmail port of Ukraine – the key export route for agricultural products of Ukraine. The incident occurred during a spike in Black Sea assaults that followed Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the grain agreement last month.
Ankara helped broker the UN-sponsored deal, using its good ties with both Russia and Ukraine to help strike the only key agreement reached by the sides during the conflict.
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But Erdogan’s office came under criticism in Turkey for saying nothing regarding the Russian assault.
Erdogan’s office pushed back against criticism on Thursday, saying that it was technically up to Palau to reply to the assault. The statement said, “Even if the owner of the vessel is Turkish, the vessel is not Turkish flagged,”.
It said, “In global law, it is the ‘flag state’ that is more significant than the name of the vessel.”
Palau is a Pacific archipelago whose flag is frequently used by shipping firms to freely access global ports.
