Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania signed a memorandum for the creation of a Working Group aimed at clearing mines in the Black Sea, under the name MCM Blacksea, in Constantinople.

The immediate task of the allied force is the collection and removal of mines, which are uncontrolled in the Black Sea due to the war in Ukraine, threatening the safety of navigation.

The memorandum was signed in Constantinople by the Defence Ministers of the three countries that are members of NATO and have coasts on the Black Sea: Yasar Guler for Turkey, Atanas Zaprianov for Bulgaria, and Angel Tilvar for Romania.

Regarding the participation of Britain, the United States or other countries not neighboring the region, the Turkish side, invoking the Treaty of Montreux, prohibits warships of third countries, and by extension their minesweepers, from passing through the Dardanelles Straits and the Bosphorus and entering the Black Sea.

According to the memorandum signed, a committee consisting of the Navy commanders of the three countries will meet twice a year. This committee will make unanimous decisions on the working group’s activities.

Under proper circumstances, after the end of the war, other countries will be able to join the agreement by unanimous decision.

The participation of the countries without coastline in the Black Sea is possible only if the state of war is lifted, and they can provide training, logistics, and equipment to the process, but their ships’ passage is prohibited, Turkish sources said.

At the same time, a source from the Turkish Ministry of Defence, during today’s regular briefing of the defence editors, said that the provisions of the Montreux Treaty are being applied meticulously.

Regarding the minesweepers sold by the UK to Ukraine, they cannot enter the Black Sea until the end of the war. The United Kingdom has already been informed of this situation and currently has no request on the matter. As part of the MCM Blacksea force, a total of four ships, one minesweeper from each country, and one command ship will assume duties in the Black Sea, the same source added.

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