ANKARA, February 26. /TASS/. The Russian embassy in Turkey has received no official notifications on the closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to Russian warships, an embassy spokesperson told TASS.
"The embassy hasn’t received any official notifications from Turkey on the closure of the straits to Russia warships," the spokesperson said.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky earlier posted a tweet, emphasizing the importance of a ban on the passage of Russian warships to the Black Sea. Many media outlets came to the conclusion that Ankara had already made a decision on the matter.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar called on Ankara on Thursday to restrict the passage of Russian warships through the Turkish-controlled straits. According to the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Turkey has sovereignty over the straits of Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. The document enshrines free passage through the straits for trade ships only. Black Sea nations may move military ships of any class through the straits during peacetime by notifying the Turkish authorities beforehand. Meanwhile, the document significantly limits the class and displacement of military ships for non-Black Sea nations. However, Turkey has additional powers to regulate traffic through the straits during wartime. Under certain circumstances, Ankara may ban a country from using the straits in case it comes to the conclusion that national or regional security is in danger.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Ankara might close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to warships but Russia would still have the right to use them for the return of its fleet to its base.