We are perplexed by the Russian Federation’s insistence on keeping the implementation of the Montreux Convention on the agenda.

In the statements reported in the press on 3 April 2014, the Russian side claimed that US warships extended their stay in the Black Sea on two recent occasions in contravention of the provisions of the Montreux Convention. Their latest statement of April 10th, however, states that only the “USS Taylor” stayed in the Black Sea more than 21 days.

As it was in fact reflected in the press, the aforementioned ship was stuck due to a propeller damage which occurred while entering the port of Samsun. As reparation efforts yielded no result, the ship was towed outside the Black Sea and the Straits. The Russian Federation and the other parties of the Montreux Convention were informed of the matter. The allegation that the Montreux Convention was violated because of the time spent in trying to repair at our seaport a damaged ship which was incapable of moving is incomprehensible.

The second ship, not named in the statement of the Russian side, but mentioned by the Russian media is the US warship “USS Truxtun”, which, although having changed its date of return through the Straits after entering the Black Sea, left the Black Sea within the 21 days limit provided by the Convention. Therefore, there was no violation whatsoever.

As it has done over the past 78 years, Turkey will keep conscientiously implementing the Montreux Convention which significantly contributes to the security of the Black Sea littoral countries. We believe that discussing technical provisions of the Convention through the media will not benefit anyone, particularly the Black Sea littoral countries which are parties to it.

These considerations have been explicitly conveyed to a Russian Embassy official who was invited to the Ministry yesterday (April 11).