ANKARA, January 9. /TASS/. Strict compliance with the Montreux Convention that regulates navigation in the Black Sea Straits made it possible to avoid tensions in the Black Sea after the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
"Turkey strictly follows the Montreux Convention. By doing so, we have prevented tensions in the Black Sea basin," Erdogan said in his address to the national after the government meeting.
Previously, Turkish authorities have stated repeatedly that Turkey did not authorize a single military ship to pass to the Black Sea, utilizing its power under the Montreux Convention. In March last year, Turkey officially informed Russia and Ukraine that it will apply Article 19 of the Convention, which prohibits military ships from passing through the Black Sea Straits.