Turkey warns countries not to pass warships through straits

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey has warned both Black Sea and non-Black Sea countries not to pass warships through its Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was reported as saying on Monday.

The 1936 Montreux Convention allows Turkey to limit naval transit of its straits during wartime but has a clause exempting ships returning to their registered base.

“We implemented what Montreux says, and we will do so from now on. There has been no request for passage through the straits until today,” the state news agency Anadolu reported Cavusoglu as saying.

At least four Russian ships are currently waiting on Turkey’s decision to cross from the Mediterranean.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Chris Reese)