Brussels: Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria engaged in discussions regarding the recent drone attacks on Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, as claimed by Ukraine. A source from the Turkish foreign ministry disclosed the details of the meeting held on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers' conference in Brussels.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts to address the security concerns in the Black Sea region. The meeting underscored the significance of maintaining security in the Black Sea, a region shared by the three NATO member countries. The discussions emphasized the necessity for freedom of navigation and adherence to international legal standards in the area.
The dialogue follows incidents reported by Turkey on Tuesday, where a tanker en route from Russia to Georgia experienced an attack in the Black Sea. This event came shortly after two other vessels, the Virat and the Kairos, suffered explosions off the Turkish coast late on Friday, with one of them being struck again on Saturday. Ukraine had claimed responsibility for targeting vessels allegedly transporting Russian oil covertly.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remarked on the escalating situation, labeling the attacks as a "worrying escalation." He expressed Turkey's stance against actions threatening navigation safety, the environment, and lives within its exclusive economic zone.