U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed gratitude to Ankara for its implementation of the Montreux Convention during a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Cavusoğlu, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine escalates, Trend News Agency reported, citing the U.S. State Department.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated his condemnation for Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine and expressed appreciation for the solidarity among partners and Allies in confronting this crisis,” the statement read.
“Secretary Blinken expressed his appreciation for Turkey’s continued implementation of the Montreux Convention and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu’s recent comments on this issue. The Secretary also thanked Turkey for its strong support in defense of Ukraine and its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Turkey will use its authority over the Turkish Straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention to prevent the Russia-Ukraine “crisis” from further escalating, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
Under the convention, Turkey can stop foreign warships from going through the Turkish Straits during a war.
The Russia-Ukraine war entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital Kyiv.
The war has been met with outrage from the international community, with the EU, U.K., U.S., and Japan implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.
At least 102 civilians have been killed so far in Ukraine and more than 500,000 others have fled the country, according to UN officials.
Ukraine says more than 350 civilians have been killed and over 1,600 injured during attacks by Russian forces.
