Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, has demanded that his country close the Dardanelles and Istanbul straits to Russian ships from Turkey, as well as impose sanctions on Moscow as air and ground attacks by Russia begin.
Turkey, a NATO member, has a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea. Turkey opposes sanctions, but calls Russia’s actions against Ukraine unacceptable. Under the Montreux Straits Convention of 1936, Ankara may restrict the movement of ships in the Bosphorus during danger or war.
“We want the airspace, the Bosphorus and Canakkale straits closed. We have submitted our request to the Turkish side. At the same time, we want sanctions imposed on the Russian side.”
Meanwhile, the Turkish lira fell 2.6 percent against the dollar to its lowest level in a good month after Russian forces launched missiles at different cities in Ukraine and deployed troops to shores.
