Ankara summoned the Ukrainian ambassador and the Russian chargé d'affaires to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to express its concern over a series of attacks on Russian-linked vessels within its exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.
"We have witnessed a very serious escalation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, with reciprocal attacks. Finally, targeted attacks have occurred in the Black Sea, also within our exclusive economic zone," Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Biris Ekinci told the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
"Yesterday and today, we summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires and the Ukrainian ambassador to express our concern," she explained.
Strikes target oil facilities
On Wednesday, Ankara called on Moscow and Kyiv to "keep energy infrastructure out of the war," following Ukrainian strikes targeting an oil terminal in Russia and vessels belonging to the stealth fleet used to circumvent Western sanctions.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told reporters, "We say to both sides, Russia and Ukraine: Keep energy infrastructure out of this war, given its significant impact on people's daily lives."
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Commenting on the targeting of each other's infrastructure by Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish minister stressed the need to "maintain uninterrupted energy flows in the Black Sea, in our straits, and in pipelines," warning that any disruption would have repercussions for global markets.
Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian invasion since February 2022, launched drone boats last week against a key Russian oil terminal and two Russian oil tankers, just a few dozen nautical miles off the Turkish Black Sea coast.
Moscow also accused Ukraine of targeting a third ship in the same sea this week, a vessel flying the Russian flag and carrying sunflower oil, an accusation Kyiv denied.
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After condemning what he called acts of "piracy," Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Tuesday to "deprive Ukraine of access to the sea," while his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressed regret over a "worrying escalation."
Worrying Escalation Between Moscow and Kyiv
A source in the Turkish Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that Ankara is working "to counter maritime threats related to the war" between Kyiv and Moscow, without providing further details.
In response to a question about US President Donald Trump's statements in late September calling on Turkey to stop buying Russian oil, the Turkish Energy Minister affirmed that Moscow is a "very reliable supplier" to Ankara.
Al-Bayraktar stated that Russia supplied Turkey with approximately 40% of its total gas imports in 2024, compared to 60% in some previous years.
He added, "The security of our oil imports is our top priority," noting that Ankara "does not want to be dependent on a single country or company."
The minister stressed his country's need "for Russian gas, Iranian gas, Azerbaijani gas, and many other sources," noting that Ankara and Moscow are in discussions to extend a gas contract that expires on December 31.
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