Türkiye is prepared to “assume responsibility” for the security of the Black Sea once a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
“There is nothing more natural than Türkiye assuming responsibility in this regard, given its role as a NATO member with the largest fleet in the Black Sea,” Fidan added.
He made the remarks after attending a Tuesday (6 January) meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” in Paris.
Led by France, Germany, and the UK, the coalition includes 35 countries that have pledged stepped-up support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
While Türkiye is not an official coalition member, it has continued to play a mediating role between the two warring parties.
Fidan described Tuesday’s coalition meeting in the French capital as a “critical summit” that had served to highlight Ankara’s “role as mediator.”
“After four years of war, we are now quite close to a lasting peace,” he said, speaking to reporters at Türkiye’s Paris embassy after the meeting.
“At the very least, certain areas that are key to achieving peace are being discussed in extremely detailed fashion,” he added. “Türkiye has contributed to this process.”
Fidan also voiced hope that, once peace is realised, Türkiye would play a “major role in [Ukraine’s] economic revitalisation and development.”
According to the foreign minister, a prospective Russia-Ukraine peace agreement would not only end the war in Ukraine, but would also serve to “determine the modalities of peace between Russia and Europe” in the post-war era.
In terms of Black Sea security, Fidan stressed that the Turkish military has “always held the position that Türkiye would assume responsibility for the naval component … in the event of peace.”
In his remarks to the press, Fidan also referred to the current situation in Syria, describing recent Israeli military activity in the country’s southwest as “provocative.”
“These provocative actions are an extension of Israel’s expansionist and divisive policies in the region,” he said.
“It is important for regional stability that the necessary assessments are made and that appropriate measures are taken.”
“This is something that must be done together with the countries of the region, and there are also serious roles that the United States can play in this regard,” he added.
Fidan said he had raised the issue with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, who was also in Paris for a separate meeting with U.S. and Israeli officials.
“We are in constant consultation with both the Syrian and American sides,” Ankara’s top diplomat said.
Spanish football club Real Madrid has appointed José Mourinho as its new manager. The 63-year-old nicknamed “the special one” returns to the hel...
U.S. Donald Trump has said he has cancelled planned strikes on Iranian oil and gas ports announced earlier on Thursday. Trump said he made the decisio...
Pakistan says it has killed 26 militants in strikes on terrorist hideouts along the Afghan border, marking the most significant escalation between the...
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI ima...
China's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his immediate family...
Spanish football club Real Madrid has appointed José Mourinho as its new manager. The 63-year-old nicknamed “the special one” returns to the helm of Spain’s most successful football club, more than a decade since his last stint as the team's manager.
U.S. Donald Trump has said he has cancelled planned strikes on Iranian oil and gas ports announced earlier on Thursday. Trump said he made the decision after senior leadership in Iran agreed to peace talks.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI image-generation tool without adequate safeguards, enabling the creation and distribution of non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.
China's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his immediate family, accusing him of repeatedly making remarks that undermined China's "legitimate interests" and bilateral relations.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is struggling under severe heat and humidity as the country enters a prolonged heatwave period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of above-normal temperatures across much of the country between 7 and 12 June.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American base in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
More than a third of Belgium’s population now has a foreign background, according to new figures released by the national statistics office, Statbel. The data show that around 4.34 million of the country’s nearly 11.7 million residents do not have an entirely Belgian background.
Fuel stations across the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula ran dry on Thursday as Ukraine stepped up attacks on supply routes to the region.
Spanish football club Real Madrid has appointed José Mourinho as its new manager. The 63-year-old nicknamed “the special one” returns to the helm of Spain’s most successful football club, more than a decade since his last stint as the team's manager.
Pakistan says it has killed 26 militants in strikes on terrorist hideouts along the Afghan border, marking the most significant escalation between the neighbouring countries since a China-brokered diplomatic effort helped ease tensions earlier this year.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has found that xAI’s Grok chatbot and its parent company X Corp. violated federal privacy law by launching an AI image-generation tool without adequate safeguards, enabling the creation and distribution of non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment