Turkey seeks ‘model’ strategy for a secure Black Sea trade corridor, focusing on solutions rather than blame

As the regional effects of the Russia-Ukraine war intensify, Ankara is speeding up efforts to improve security in the Black Sea. Turkey says it is ready to support any initiative that can bring the parties back to the negotiating table and contribute to lasting peace.

The push includes efforts to create a secure trade corridor and limit the wider consequences of the war. The article expects attacks on commercial ships, ports and terminals in the Black Sea to increase as Russia and Ukraine target each other’s economies. The two sides are also carrying out about 1,000 attacks a day using unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles.

That activity could send military systems used in the attacks drifting toward Turkey and other countries bordering the Black Sea. About 90 ships have come under attack in the past month, most of them in the Sea of Azov. More than 30 of those vessels were owned by Turkish interests.

Ankara is taking measures to protect its coastline while conducting diplomatic and intelligence-level talks with Moscow, Kyiv and countries in the region. The article warns that a worsening war and growing risks to Black Sea trade could deepen a global grain crisis. Information obtained by Sabah indicates that Turkey wants negotiations to focus on finding a “solution” rather than identifying a “culprit”.

The article also reports that U.S. special representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held high-level meetings in Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the current situation did not support expectations that the war would end before winter and that it would probably continue through the winter months. Russia’s Defense Ministry separately said it had targeted a vessel, a facility used for military purposes and a patrol boat in Ukraine with drones.