Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his Turkish counterpart on Saturday for banning Russian ships from passing through the Black Sea, a move Turkish officials cautioned was premature as a decision had not been reached.
Zelensky took to Twitter Saturday to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support and closing the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits, which lead into the Turkish-controlled areas of the Black Sea, despite Turkish officials’ insistence that they have not yet determined whether to close the critical port to Russian aggressors.
“I thank my friend Mr. President of [Turkey] Erdogan and the people of [Turkey] for their strong support,” Zelensky said in the tweet. “The ban on the passage of [Russian] warships to the Black Sea and significant military and humanitarian support for [Ukraine] are extremely important today. The people of [Ukraine] will never forget that!”
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However, a Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Erdogan never agreed to close the strait during a call between the two presidents Saturday.
“Turkey hasn’t made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships yet,” the official said.
The call between the two leaders was intended to reassure Zelensky that Turkey was seeking to help end the invasion in a ceasefire, along with condolences on the Ukrainian lives lost from the invasion. At least 13 Ukrainians were killed by Russians while defending Snake Island in the Black Sea.
Zelensky asked Turkey to block Russian ships from passing through the sea Friday. Initially, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu denied the request because of a clause in the 1936 Montreux Convention that said ships could pass through the straits if they were returning home. This means even if they did agree to block Russian access, they could only do so if the ships were leaving Russia, not returning home, according to Reuters.
“Under Montreux Convention on straits, Russia has a right to return its ships to its ports in Black Sea,” Cavusoglu said in a TV interview. “Even in the wartime, Russia has a right to do it.”
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Other countries have agreed to support Ukraine as it fends off attacks from Russia. President Joe Biden authorized the Department of Defense to provide $350 million in military aid, including anti-aircraft weapons, on Friday. The Netherlands and Germany have sent additional weapons and supplies to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s health minister said that 198 civilians had been killed in the Russian invasion, including three children. Another 1,115 civilians have been wounded, including 33 children.
