Germany welcomed Turkey's decision to enact provisions of the Montreux Convention to limit the passage of warships in the Black Sea amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Germany appreciates #Turkey's crucial role, especially at this difficult time, as the guardian of the Montreux Convention which regulates the passage through the #Bosphorus and Dardanelles Strait, also in time of war," the German Foreign Ministry said on Twitter late Tuesday.
"Thank you for ensuring its continued application," the ministry said.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday that Ankara has sent official notifications to the relevant countries, and clarified issues with regards to the implementation of the Montreux Convention.
He said Russia wanted to send four naval vessels into the Black Sea last week, but three of them were not registered to Black Sea home bases.
"We told Russia not to send these ships. And Russia told us that these ships will not sail through the Straits," he said.
The 1936 Montreux Convention gives Turkey the authority to restrict the passage of naval vessels through the Turkish Straits at times of war. Russian warships returning to their homeport are exempt from the restrictions, according to the articles of the convention.
Since Russia began its war on Ukraine last Thursday, it has been met with outrage from the international community. The European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and the United States have implemented a range of financial sanctions on Moscow.
Many Western countries are also supplying Ukraine with weapons, have shut their airspace for Russian airlines, and banned or restricted Russian state-run media.
The number of people who have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries has reached 677,000, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
Provisions of Montreux
The Montreux Convention has been properly and impartially implemented by Turkey for more than seven decades as a testimony of the carefully established balance by the Convention, which is an essential element in the context of Black Sea security and stability, according to a handout by the Foreign Ministry.
According to the convention, merchant vessels enjoy the freedom of passage through the Turkish Straits while passages of vessels of war are subject to some restrictions which vary depending on whether these vessels belong to Black Sea riparian States or not.
Besides some general restrictions applicable to all, vessels of war belonging to non-riparian States are subject to specific restrictions such as those regarding maximum aggregate tonnage and duration of stay in the Black Sea.
The principal provisions of the Convention ruling the passages of vessels of war are outlined here below:
First of all, aircraft carriers whether belonging to riparian states or not, can in no way pass through the Turkish Straits.
Secondly, only submarines belonging to riparian states can pass through the Turkish Straits, for the purpose of rejoining their base in the Black Sea for the first time after their construction or purchase, or for the purpose of repair in dockyards outside the Black Sea.
The total number and the maximum aggregate tonnage of all foreign naval forces which may be in course of passage through the Turkish Straits are limited to 9 and 15,000 tons respectively. On the other hand, the maximum aggregate tonnage which non-riparian states may have in the Black Sea is 45,000 tons. In this regard, the maximum aggregate tonnage of the vessels of war that one non-riparian state may have in the Black Sea is 30,000 tons.
Vessels of war belonging to non-riparian states cannot stay for more than 21 days in the Black Sea.
Lastly, passages through the Turkish Straits are notified to Turkey through diplomatic channels prior to intended passages. The notification time is eight days for vessels of war belonging to riparian states, and 15 days for those of non-riparian states.