Türkiye refutes claims on mine-clearing ships passage to Black Sea

Türkiye's Center for Combating Disinformation has rebuffed claims that mine-clearing ships were permitted to travel through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea.

The agency wrote in a statement on X on Tuesday that Türkiye immediately defined Russia's “special military operation” in Ukraine as a "war."

Parties engaged in war have closed the straits to warships, it noted, citing Article 19 of the Montreux Convention.

The statement said Türkiye has applied the Montreux Convention "impartially" and "meticulously" since 1936.

“It has been communicated to our relevant allies that mine-clearing ships donated to Ukraine by the UK will not be allowed passage through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea as long as the war continues,” the statement said.

The claim circulating on some media that said permission had been granted to mine-clearing ships donated by the UK to pass from the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea is "not accurate," it added.

Türkiye, to prevent the escalation of tension in the Black Sea, maintains its unwavering determination and principled stance during the war.