Skip to main content
Search for articles, authors, keywords
Abstract:

The Montreux Convention remains a key legal and policy tool in maintaining Black Sea security, particularly in the context of Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine launched in February 2022. To preserve its role, Türkiye seeks to prevent any debate over the convention and ensure its continuous enforcement. By pursuing a policy of balance between NATO and Russia, Türkiye aims to promote peace in the Black Sea rather than witness competition and conflict to its north. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has elevated Türkiye’s role as a key actor in ensuring regional security. Moreover, from Ankara’s perspective, the Montreux regime serves as a crucial policy tool and instrument of international law for formulating balanced strategies and guaranteeing security in the Black Sea region.

Creative Commons BY-SA

Article statistics

Ketenci, Ayşegül. (2023) 2023. “Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Montreux Convention As Türkiye’s International Law Instrument and Policy Tool for the Security of the Black Sea”. Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22 (3): 72-84. doi:https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.22.3.07.
595 Views
279 Downloads

Bibliography

“1936 Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Adopted in Montreux, Switzerland on 20 July 1936,” Full Text, https://cil.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1936-Convention-Regarding-the-Regime-of-the-Straits-1.pdf.

“Akar’s ‘Montreux’ Emphasis: Eroding and Disrupting the Status Quo Will Not Benefit Anyone,” TRT Haber, March 1, 2022, https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/akardan-montro-vurgusu-asindirilmasi-statukonun-bozulmasi-kimseye-yarar-saglamaz-659493.html. – in Turkish

“Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits: What Does Türkiye’s Move Mean? Could It Change the Course of the Russia-Ukraine Crisis?” BBC, March 1, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-turkiye-60571805. – in Turkish

“Statement by the North Atlantic Council on Russia’s Attack on Ukraine,” Press Release, NATO, February 24, 2022, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_192404.htm.

“Which Russian Ships Did Türkiye Not Allow?” TR Haberler, March 3, 2022, https://www.trhaberler.com/turkiye-rusyanin-hangi-gemilerine-musaade-etmedi-haber-622606.  in Turkish

Acer, Yücel, “Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: The Montreux Convention and Türkiye,” International Law Studies 100, no. 1 (2023): 285-311, 304, https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/ils/vol100/iss1/8/.

Aliano, Adam and Russell Spivak, “Ukraine Symposium – The Montreux Convention and Türkiye’,s Impact on Black Sea Operations,” Lieber Institute West Point, April 25, 2022, https://lieber.westpoint.edu/montreux-convention-turkeys-impact-black-sea-operations/.

Altaş, Mümin, “Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu: We Warned All Countries, both Coastal and Non-Coastal, Not to Let Warships Pass Through the Straits,” Anadolu Agency, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/disisleri-bakani-cavusoglu-kiyidas-olan-olmayan-butun-ulkeleri-bogazlardan-savas-gemisi-gecirmemesi-konusunda-uyardik/2518767.

Baldıran, Selen, Dinçer Bayer, and Hüseyin Gençer, “The Importance of the 1936 Montreux Convention for the Black Sea Security: A Close Look into Russia-NATO Controversy on the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict in 2022,” Information & Security: An International Journal 51, no. 1 (2022): 11-23, https://doi.org/10.11610/isij.5101

Dinçer, Melih, “Turkey-Russia Relations in the Black Sea in the Context of the Montreux Convention,” Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Politika Dergisi [Journal of International Relations and Politics] 3, no. 1 (2023): 50-67, https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2873385. – in Turkish

Hodges, Ben, “Western Allies Must Regain the Initiative over Putin in the Black Sea,” Financial Times, February 26, 2022, https://www.ft.com/content/5d2e8227-dafc-478d-ae8e-596d581c8453.

Hooper, Craig, “In a Russia-Ukraine Peace, Montreux Convention Will Stress NATO Black Sea Peacekeepers,” Forbes, July 3, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/craighooper/2023/07/03/in-a-russia-ukraine-peace-montreux-convention-will-stress-nato-black-sea-peacekeepers/.

Nevitt, Mark, “The Russia-Ukraine Conflict, the Black Sea, and the Montreux Convention,” Just Security, February 28, 2022, https://www.justsecurity.org/80384/the-russia-ukraine-conflict-the-black-sea-and-the-montreux-convention/.

Oral, Ferhan, and Şafak Oğuz, “The Security of the Black Sea: The Struggle in the Black Sea and Turkey’s Policy in the Post-Cold War Era,” Karadeniz Araştırmaları Merkezi 18, no. 69 (March 2021), https://doi.org/10.12787/KARAM1667

Oral, Nilüfer, “To Close or Not to Close the Turkish Straits under Article 19 of the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, President Zelensky’s Request to Turkey to invoke Article 19,” Centre for International Law – National University of Singapore, https://cil.nus.edu.sg/to-close-or-not-to-close-the-turkish-straits-under-article-19-of-the-1936-montreux-convention-regarding-the-regime-of-the-straits/.

Özerdem, Alpaslan, “Here’s Why Navy Aircraft Carriers Can’t Help Ukraine,” gCaptain, March 6, 2022, https://gcaptain.com/us-navy-aircraft-carriers-ukraine/.

Özkan, Selim Hilmi, “Ottoman-Russian Relations and the Black Sea Security Issue in the Early 18th Century,” Karadeniz Araştırmaları Dergisi, no. 14 (2007): 47-62, http://www.karamdergisi.com/Makaleler/865983958_ozkan.pdf. – in Turkish

Pili, Giangiuseppe, Jack Crawford, and Nick Loxton, “Russia Is Violating Montreux Convention with Civilian Ships,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 149, no. 9 (September 2023), https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2023/september/russia-violating-montreux-convention-civilian-ships.

Pitel, Laura, “Turkey’s Stance on Russian Warships Raises Hope of Reset in Relations with West,” Financial Times, March 2, 2022, https://www.ft.com/content/433eb7e7-0c32-4c00-863a-9f1f9f294e9b.

Satıl, Ceren, “The Montreux Convention Regarding the Straits and Turkey’s Sovereignty over the Straits,” Doğruluk Payı, March 1, 2022, https://www.dogrulukpayi.com/bulten/montro-bogazlar-sozlesmesi-ve-turkiye-nin-bogazlar-uzerindeki-egemenligi. – in Turkish

Yaycı, Cihat, “An Assessment on the Implementation of Gold Franc in the Framework of Montreux Convention,” Bilge Strateji 5, no. 8 (Spring 2013): 149-167, https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/43473. – in Turkish

Yılmaz, Ahmet, “Analysis: Turkey’s Black Sea Actions Strategically Benefit Russia,” Turkish Minute, November 30, 2022, https://www.turkishminute.com/2022/11/30/analysis-turkeys-black-sea-actions-strategically-benefit-russia/.

Yücel, Kurtuluş, The Legal Regime of the Turkish Straits: Regulation of the Montreux Convention and Its Importance on the International Relations after the Conflict of Ukraine, PhD Dissertation (Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 2019), https://d-nb.info/1187833509/34.

Yurtsever, Fatih, “Analysis: How the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Will Impact the Montreux Convention,” Turkish Minute, January 27, 2022, https://turkishminute.com/2022/01/27/is-how-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-will-impact-the-montreux-convention/.

Themes