As Türkiye pushes for safe shipping across the Black Sea, Russia announced that it "worked closely" with Ankara to ensure it. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this in response to remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about a proposal sent to Moscow for ending hostilities in the Black Sea.
Türkiye has been pushing Russia and Ukraine to suspend attacks on civilian vessels, with Fidan demanding a "moratorium" on Aug. 8. The attacks have intensified as the foes seek to damage each other's export revenues, with the war now raging into a fifth year.
NATO member Türkiye maintains relations with Kyiv and Moscow and has declined to join Western sanctions against Russia. Its ships are active in the Black Sea, sailing under various countries' flags, with several hit by drones believed to be launched by Ukraine.
In August, the Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Ukraine's envoy following an attack on the Lider Bordo Mavi, a container ship off the Russian coast, and a subsequent attack on the Lider Kocatepe, which was sent to tow it away. Both are Turkish-owned vessels. Anchored in the northeastern port of Trabzon, the Lider Bordo Mavi appeared to have sustained damage to its bridge deck and the two decks below, showing signs of major fire damage, Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondents said.
Türkiye has repeatedly raised the idea of reviving the grain corridor format to safeguard Black Sea shipping, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying he would discuss the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November.
