Turkey proposes two security corridors for ships in the Black Sea
Turkey has submitted to Ukraine and Russia a proposal to introduce a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea and ensure the safety of shipping.
It provides for separate routes for civilian vessels for each side of the conflict, the newspaper Milliyet reports.
According to the paper, Ankara proposes opening a security corridor to the Bosphorus Strait for Ukrainian ships along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, and for Russian ships along the coasts of Georgia and Turkey.
Consultations on the document concerning a moratorium on military operations are continuing. If an agreement is reached, a deal similar to the grain agreement concluded in Istanbul in 2022 could be signed, but covering all commercial vessels, which would oblige the parties to the conflict to halt attacks on civilian ships, the publication claims.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said that Ankara had stepped up efforts to resume the functioning of the grain corridor following the example of the Istanbul agreements. In a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 7, the Turkish leader noted that ensuring the safety of shipping in the Black Sea is of paramount importance and stressed that Turkey is always ready to contribute to efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine.
