70 ships have been attacked since the beginning of the year, 51 of them are affiliated with Türkiye: Moratorium move from Turkey in the Black Sea

Aslıhan Altay Karataş - President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues his leading diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine war as well as to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

The fact that 51 of the 70 ships attacked in the Black Sea in 2026 were affiliated with Türkiye accelerated diplomatic initiatives. Erdoğan, who has continued his dialogue with the parties since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War and is the first name that comes to mind in the search for mediation thanks to the balanced policy he has followed, last met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the USA. During the meeting, Erdoğan underlined that it was necessary to take steps regarding navigation security in the Black Sea and stated that the attack on commercial ships could not be explained and that they expected responsible behavior from the parties. Erdoğan last had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and emphasized the importance of the work done to ensure navigation safety in the Black Sea.

Ukraine's reservation

Türkiye prepared a document declaring a moratorium (postponement) to ensure the safety of navigation of civilian ships in the Black Sea and presented it to the parties. If the parties reach an agreement, an agreement similar to the Grain Corridor Agreement, but this time covering all commercial ships, will be signed and it will be decided not to attack civilian ships. Consultations between Russia and Ukraine on the document continue under the mediation of Turkey. It is stated that Ukraine has made reservations for dual-use products such as iron ore carried by ships. In the document submitted by Turkey, a route is proposed for Ukrainian ships that will enable them to reach the Bosphorus by following the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria. It is planned to create a safe route for Russian ships along the coasts of Georgia and Türkiye.

Risk of hunger in Africa

While the number of ships attacked in the Black Sea since January has reached 70, it was noted that 51 of them are affiliated with Türkiye. It was pointed out that grain and fertilizer became untransportable in the Black Sea due to the attacks, and some African countries were in danger of starvation.