“The Middle East Institute”: Russia is circumventing the “Montreux” Convention by using merchant ships to deliver supplies to Syria
The Middle East Institute for Research and Studies considered that Russia resorted to circumvention of the “Montreux” Convention for navigation after Turkey has closed the (Bosporus and the Dardanelles) Straits to warships.
The Middle East Institute said in its report: Russia is now using private companies and merchant ships to deliver logistical supplies to its forces and bases in Syria, in an effort to evade its obligations under the agreement.
Turkey’s action has triggered to close the Bosporus Strait to Russian military vessels and hindered Russia’s capability to rotate naval assets in the Mediterranean and prevented Moscow from bringing additional warships to the Black Sea, in addition to its inability to deliver defense military exports, according to the Institute.
The geopolitical analyst Yörük Isik said Russia is continuing its naval operations in the Mediterranean and Black seas by using private commercial vessels, which is considered a violation to “Montreux” Convention. He also added that the observation of traffic through Bosporus Strait confirming there are Russian activities there.
Isik considered that Russia’s resort to circumvention by using private merchant ships to deliver its logistical supplies to Syria is a violation to “Montreux” Convention, noting that this should not be acceptable even if it is legal.
Isik clarified that five types of merchant ships that Moscow uses to deliver logistics to Syria do not carry the Russian flag and not seen in the region before.
On February 28, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced his country’s closure of the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits to warships bordering and not bordering the Black Sea over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
