Turkey protests to Kyiv over Black Sea attacks on Turkish vessels

Turkey summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara after this week's attacks on a Turkish ship and a second vessel sent to tow it in the Black Sea, Turkey's foreign ministry announced Saturday.

The attacks took place on August 26 and 27, the ministry told AFP. "During the meeting, Turkey expressed its warnings regarding the imperative need to ensure the safety of persons, property, navigation and the environment in the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement.

On August 26, the Turkish vessel "Lider Bordo Mavi" was struck off Tuapse, a Russian coastal city on the Black Sea. The following day, the ship "Lider Kocatepe," sent to tow the first vessel, was also targeted, according to the ministry, which did not specify whether the attacks caused casualties on board. The damaged ship was towed to the Turkish port of Samsun in the north, according to local media.

Turkey had called on both Russia and Ukraine in August to establish a "moratorium" on attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea, where Turkey is a coastal state and through which numerous ships owned by Turkish shipowners operating under various flags pass.

Several such commercial vessels have been targeted by drone attacks attributed to Ukraine, which aims to disrupt the transport of grain and hydrocarbons benefiting Russia. Ankara, which maintains relations with both countries, has not joined Western trade sanctions against Moscow.

"The conflict has spread across the entire Black Sea. At first, they targeted ports and military vessels. Now, they're attacking all commercial ships, without distinction," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan lamented on August 8, regretting that "vessels... owned by Turks or flying the Turkish flag are also being hit."