Turkey may limit or completely block the Bosphorus Strait for Russian Navy ships amid escalation of the conflict in the Syrian province of Idlib, Eurasia Diary reports citing Bulgarian Military Units.
According to him, Ankara is considering the possibility of blocking the strait, if Russia will oppose the Turkish military operation in Syria. It is also possible to close Turkish airspace for Russian aviation, the journalist warned.
The status of the Black Sea straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention adopted in 1936. According to the document, Turkey must ensure the freedom of movement of merchant ships of all countries both in peacetime and in wartime.
Moreover, the mode of passage of warships in relation to the Black Sea and non-Black Sea states is different. So, for warships of non-Black Sea states, significant restrictions have been introduced on the class and tonnage of ships. In the case of Turkey’s participation in the war, as well as if the country considers that there is a threat of involvement in an armed conflict, Ankara has the right to close the straits for any warships.
On the night of February 28, the Turkish army attacked the positions of the Syrian army in Idlib and destroyed a convoy of government troops. The attack was a response to the shelling of Turkish troops in the Jebel al-Zawiya region, which killed 33 troops. Turkey promised to avenge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the deaths of soldiers.
As a result of the offensive in January-February, the Syrian army occupied almost half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind Turkish observation posts. This outraged Ankara, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if by the end of February the Syrian troops are not withdrawn from the line of posts, the Turkish army will begin a military operation.
