Türkiye is worried that increasing attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, including on ships owned by Turkish firms, may destabilize maritime security. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan proposes a new, limited agreement between Russia and Ukraine to stop the attacks.
In the latest instance of attacks on ships in the Black Sea, a Turkish-owned boat was struck by Russian forces in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Friday. The cargo vessel was damaged by a suspected missile attack at Ukraine's Chornomorsk port, the ship’s operator has said. No one was injured in the attack that set the vessel on fire. Since November, at least three ships have been struck in the Black Sea, near Turkish waters, in attacks attributed to Ukrainian forces hunting down an alleged “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that Russia utilized to evade Western-imposed sanctions.
Speaking to Turkish broadcaster TVNET on Saturday night, Fidan said Türkiye has long warned against the conflict's spillover and that it is now spreading further. “Such things happen toward the end of conflicts. Everyone is raising the stakes, and they attack all fronts,” Fidan said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Sunday for a "dignified" peace and guarantees that Russia would not attack Ukraine again as he prepared to meet U.S. envoys and European allies in Berlin to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to sign a peace deal that initially backed Moscow's demands, Zelenskyy accused Russia of dragging out the war through deadly bombings of cities and Ukraine's power and water supplies.
Fidan noted that both sides were launching strikes on energy infrastructure, and that retaliation, unfortunately, disrupted commerce via the Black Sea. He said ships flying foreign flags but owned by Turkish companies, and Turkish crew members working on vessels operating across the Black Sea, faced risks. “Thankfully, no Turkish nationals were harmed in attacks so far,” he said. The minister said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting on the sidelines of a meeting in Turkmenistan earlier this week. “This is a source of concern for us. We are seeking agreements in two fields. If sides will not pursue a comprehensive cease-fire and peace agreement, they should have a limited agreement on not attacking energy infrastructure and ensuring maritime security in Black Sea,” Fidan stated. He recalled the grain deal between the two countries “which practically ensured this.” “For a long time, all ships navigating the Black Sea were spared from attacks and Black Sea commerce continued without problems. We need the same suspension (of attacks) now,” he said.
Türkiye was a key player in the now-on-hold deal that enabled the safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments through the Black Sea despite the blockade of its ports after the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in 2022.
The accord, brokered by Ankara and the United Nations in July 2022, ended after Moscow refused to renew it. Ankara has ramped up efforts to try to revive the initiative.
Türkiye has positioned itself as an intermediary in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Erdoğan was a key player in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Moscow withdrew from the accord later, accusing the West of hampering its own grain and fertilizer exports, and has since attacked Ukrainian agricultural and port infrastructure. It has been said that it was ready to return to the deal once an accompanying agreement on Russia was in place.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said peace is not far away in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to quotes published on Saturday as he returned from Turkmenistan. Erdoğan said he hopes to discuss the Ukraine peace plan with U.S. President Donald Trump. He also warned the warring sides against attacks in the Black Sea, saying the region should not be used as an “area of confrontation.” “This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea.”
Erdoğan said Saturday that he mainly discussed the war and peace efforts with Putin.
"Like all other actors, Mr. Putin knows very well where Türkiye stands on this issue," he said.
Türkiye, which has sought to maintain relations with Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, controls the Bosporus, a key passage for transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian oil toward the Mediterranean.
Fidan said Putin and Erdoğan were close friends and that Erdoğan has consistently maintained the same stance since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. Erdoğan advocated a fair and just peace that will benefit both sides. “There are ongoing processes we are also involved in (regarding the Russia-Ukraine peace). Mr. President wanted to hear from Putin and Putin personally informed him. It is good to see that Mr. Putin is genuinely keen on a cease-fire. There are certain conditions, though,” Fidan said.
The minister noted creative solutions were needed to the Russia-Ukraine war and both sides had “their own reality” and “the room they can maneuver based on this reality.” He noted that he had a phone call with U.S. special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict Steve Witkoff before Saturday’s live interview to discuss the conflict and the situation in Gaza. He said Ukraine’s Donbas region was a key component of any peace deal, and that both sides held different views on the region's status. “Apparently, any deal will be concluded with elections and a referendum in Ukraine. Particularly, some issues can only be resolved through a referendum since (any compromise) can be a risk not any political leader considers taking on their own,” Fidan elaborated. He said another issue regarding the conflict was the fate of frozen Russian assets. “This is another area of conflict after Donbas,” he said.
Amid EU plans to use frozen Russian state assets to fund a loan to Ukraine, several member states, including Belgium, have raised legal concerns, noting that most assets are held at Euroclear in Brussels.
Russia's central bank called the plan illegal and reserved the right to take any measures necessary to protect its interests.
On Friday, the bloc moved to "indefinitely immobilize" Russian assets, while EU leaders are set to decide at a Brussels summit on Dec. 18-19 whether to allocate funds to Ukraine.
Fidan also commented on another pressing issue for Türkiye: the Existence of the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK. The minister said that the U.S.-backed terrorist group was certainly “emboldened by Israel.”
The YPG, which controls several locations in northeastern Syria, claims self-styled autonomy there and so far has rejected integration into post-Assad Syria’s army, despite signing a deal with Damascus on March 10.
The group was behind several terror attacks in Türkiye during the Syrian civil war, and Türkiye hopes it will complete its integration into the Syrian army and end posing a risk. Israel, which raised its hostility toward Ankara as Türkiye became the most fierce opponent of the Netanyahu administration’s genocide in Gaza, does not hide its embrace of the YPG. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar once described “Kurds in Syria” as their “natural ally,” referring to the ethnic community the YPG claims to represent.
Fidan said the YPG never cooperated with the Syrian opposition against the oppressive regime of Syria’s Assad, and Israel also opposed the ouster of Assad.
He noted that views abroad of the YPG had changed, and U.S. policy had shifted. “Now, the YPG should fulfill its deal with Damascus and undertake its responsibilities in the March 10 deal,” he said. He stated that this was crucial not only for the stability of Syria but also for the national security of Türkiye, Iraq and Jordan. The minister highlighted that Ankara encouraged dialogue, peace and confidence between Damascus and the YPG.
For years, the U.S. actively supported the YPG under the pretext that it was a key actor in a joint fight against Daesh. Fidan said Daesh had considerably shrunk and was no longer a systemic threat. “Regional actors can overcome this issue by joining forces,” he said. “Daesh is certainly a threat that should be fought against, but it is a problematic point of view to resort to different projects under the name of fighting Daesh. We are aware that reaction to Daesh is disproportionate, we believe this is about something else,” he said. Fidan noted that Daesh became an apparatus employed by any power, underlining that Western countries and the Assad regime exploited the Daesh issue “to gain room for maneuver.” “It is two different matters to see Daesh as a threat to the future of Syria and to see it as a terrorist group that should be eliminated. I believe the new administration in Syria will not allow (Daesh to thrive),” he said.
Fidan stressed that the YPG cannot have Daesh as an excuse to prolong its existence. “This is not simply about Syria’s security. This is also about Türkiye’s security. The YPG is the PKK’s wing in Syria. The PKK is currently engaged in this process. We want to see its results beyond our borders as well,” he said. Last year, Türkiye launched the terror-free Türkiye initiative by inviting the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to urge his group to lay down arms. Öcalan cooperated and made the call to the PKK last February. The PKK accepted and announced it had started disarmament last summer. So far, the YPG declined to join the initiative, claiming Öcalan’s call did not cover them.
The foreign minister also answered questions about Turkish-US relations. He said efforts are underway to lift sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), noting that the issue was framed at a leadership level during a meeting between President Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Responding to a question on the status of the process, Fidan said the political will established at that meeting continues to guide work on CAATSA and the Halkbank case, which he described as the two remaining problematic areas in bilateral relations. “In all other areas, we are doing very well. Our goal is to expand global relations and increase trade, and work in these areas is ongoing,” he said. Turkish state lender Halkbank faces a lawsuit in the United States, allegedly for helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.
Fidan said he expects a breakthrough on CAATSA in the near future, stressing that the issue is particularly important for the defense industry.
He noted that Türkiye has reached an 80% self-sufficiency rate in defense production but emphasized that no country can be fully independent in this field and that cooperation remains essential. Because of CAATSA, he said, Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) has been unable to develop institutional counterparts. “This is something we need to resolve. Our primary professional and expert actor in this area is the Presidency of Defense Industries,” Fidan said.
He added that once sanctions are lifted, the Presidency of Defense Industries will be able to fully assume its role, calling this one of the most significant gains of moving beyond CAATSA.
Fidan also pointed to NATO’s principle of mutual interdependence, noting that longstanding supply systems for certain equipment, weapons, and ammunition used by the Turkish Armed Forces have been disrupted by CAATSA and must be restored.
“Until we reach a period in which we can take our domestic capabilities to the highest level, we need to remove sanction regimes in certain areas not only from the United States but also from Europe,” Fidan said. He recalled that sanctions imposed by Canada, Germany and several European countries have been mainly lifted through diplomatic efforts.
Fidan said CAATSA sanctions can be lifted in 2026.
