Turkey urges Ukraine, Russia to agree on halting attacks on energy and port infrastructure

Turkey has expressed concern over an attack on a vessel owned by a Turkish company while it was in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk and has emphasized the need to reach agreements to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, including a halt to attacks on energy and port infrastructure.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said this in a statement seen by Ukrinform.

"Today's (December 12) attack on Ukraine's Chornomorsk Port, in which a foreign flagged vessel owned by a Turkish company was damaged, validates our previously stated concerns regarding the spread of the ongoing war in the region to the Black Sea, and its impact on maritime security and freedom of navigation," the statement said.

According to initial information, no Turkish citizens were harmed in the attack. Turkey's Consulate General in Odesa is closely monitoring the developments and providing the necessary support to Turkish citizens.

"We once again underline the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and reiterate the necessity of an arrangement whereby the parties suspend attacks targeting the safety of navigation as well as each other's energy and port infrastructure in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The attack on the Turkish company's vessel in Chornomorsk took place simultaneously with a meeting between the presidents of Turkey and Russia in Turkmenistan.

During a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the International Forum for Peace and Security in Turkmenistan, the Turkish side stressed that progress could be achieved between Ukraine and Russia in areas that would bring practical benefits to both sides. First and foremost, this concerns the introduction of a limited ceasefire regime covering energy facilities and ports.

Photo: Ukraine's State Emergency Service