Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a stark warning against escalating military tensions in the Black Sea region following a Russian airstrike that damaged a Turkish-owned vessel in Ukraine’s Odessa port. Speaking to journalists aboard the presidential aircraft on Saturday, Erdogan emphasized that transforming the Black Sea into a conflict zone would serve neither Russia’s nor Ukraine’s interests, according to reports from Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency.
The incident occurred merely hours after Erdogan had engaged in direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Turkmenistan. During their meeting, the Turkish leader advocated for implementing a ‘limited ceasefire’ specifically targeting attacks on port infrastructure and energy facilities within the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey’s consistent diplomatic stance, noting that Putin remains fully aware of Ankara’s position regarding regional stability. The Turkish president expressed optimism about potential peace negotiations, indicating plans to discuss a comprehensive peace proposal with U.S. President Trump following his preliminary discussions with the Russian leader.
While Turkey maintains its official position supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity—including non-recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea—Turkish officials have privately acknowledged that resolving the conflict might necessitate territorial concessions from Ukraine. This pragmatic approach has reportedly been communicated through diplomatic channels since at least 2022.