Turkey pushes for Black Sea ceasefire to protect civilian shipping, NATO envoy says
Turkey is working with both Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a temporary partial ceasefire in the Black Sea aimed at protecting civilian cargo ships, Turkey's permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Basat Öztürk, said at the Turkey–EU business summit in Brussels. Öztürk warned that strikes on commercial vessels threaten energy, food and fertilizer supplies, and pointed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a model Turkey could repeat.
Key points
- Turkey is brokering a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia to protect civilian cargo ships.
- Turkey's permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Basat Öztürk, made the statement at the Turkey–EU business summit in Brussels.
- Öztürk said commercial vessels carrying civilian cargo are being targeted by both sides and warned this could trigger crises in energy, food and fertilizer supplies.
- Öztürk cited the Black Sea Grain Agreement, brokered by Turkey, as a deal that worked and averted a global food crisis, saying Turkey could do so again.
- Turkey is applying the Montreux Convention to maintain stability and closed the straits to warships of the warring parties three days after 24 February 2022.
- Turkey says it has the longest coastline and largest naval capabilities in the Black Sea and provides allies with 70% of the recognized maritime and air situational picture.
- On 7 October, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Kyiv is ready for five ceasefire variants, two of which cover Black Sea security and are being developed by Turkey and Egypt.
Why it matters
An active diplomatic track to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea would directly affect the supply of energy, food and fertilizers, sectors where disruption has global consequences. Turkey's effort draws on its earlier brokering of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and fits into a broader set of ceasefire variants being negotiated with involvement from multiple countries, including Turkey-led Black Sea security proposals.
What happened
Speaking at the Turkey–EU business summit in Brussels, Turkey's permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Basat Öztürk, said Turkey is working with both Ukraine and Russia to achieve a temporary partial ceasefire in the Black Sea aimed at ensuring civilian cargo ships are not targeted. Öztürk said commercial vessels carrying civilian cargo are being targeted by both sides and warned that strikes on ships in the Black Sea could trigger crises in the supply of energy carriers, food and fertilizers. He referenced the Black Sea Grain Agreement, brokered by Turkey, as a deal that worked well and averted a global food crisis, and said Turkey could do so again. Öztürk added that Turkey is applying the Montreux Convention to maintain maximum possible stability in the region, that Turkey has the longest coastline and largest naval capabilities in the Black Sea, and that it provides allies with 70% of the recognized maritime and air situational picture while working around the clock with Romania and Bulgaria.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian outlets cover Turkey's stated effort to broker a Black Sea deal and cite Turkey's NATO-level spokesperson as the authority for the claim. One of the outlets goes further by adding Ukrainian Foreign Ministry context about five ceasefire variants under development, including Turkey- and Egypt-led Black Sea security tracks. On 7 October, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi said Kyiv is ready for five variants of a ceasefire with Russia being developed jointly with other countries: a full and unconditional ceasefire Ukraine agreed to in 2025 during talks in Saudi Arabia, two Black Sea security variants being developed by Turkey and Egypt with Kyiv's involvement, a food security and energy variant led by India, and an energy ceasefire discussed during recent contacts between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.
Background
Turkey invokes the Montreux Convention as the legal basis for managing the straits and closed them to warships of the warring parties three days after 24 February 2022, classifying the situation as a state of war rather than a "special military operation." Turkey says it has the longest coastline and largest naval capabilities in the Black Sea and provides allies with 70% of the recognized maritime and air situational picture, cooperating around the clock with Romania and Bulgaria. Ukraine has outlined five ceasefire variants it is ready to pursue: a full unconditional ceasefire agreed in 2025 talks in Saudi Arabia, two Black Sea security variants led by Turkey and Egypt, a food security and energy variant led by India, and an energy ceasefire discussed between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.