This decision is in line with the agreement between Bulgaria, Romania and Ankara, signed last January, on the establishment of the Black Sea Mine Action Group (MCM Black Sea).

The vessels associated with this agreement officially started patrolling last Tuesday.

The MCM will be under the command of its Navy from July 2 until January 2, 2025, according to the Turkish government agency, consisting of the logistic support ship TCG Yüzbaşı Güngör Durmuş and the minesweepers TCG Akçay, as well as the Romanian minesweepers Alexandru Axente and ‘Bulgarian Struma’.

On June 30, Turkish sappers defused a Ukrainian mine found in the Black Sea near Eregli town.

Also in March 2022, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that Kiev’s naval forces after the start of the special military operation laid about 420 mines at the approaches to the ports of Odessa, Ochakov, Chernomorsk and Yuzhni.

Since that date, Türkiye, taking advantage of the powers granted to it by the Montreux Convention, banned the passage of military vessels through its Straits, a measure that ensures stability.

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