In face of Black Sea mine threat, three NATO allies nearing naval pact to clear waters
The NATO member states of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria are in discussions to establish a joint naval mine countermeasures force, Bloomberg reports, citing anonymous officials.
Naval mines have drifted into these countries' territorial waters in the Black Sea, prompting coordinated action to detect and defuse the threats to critical civilian and commercial shipping routes.
The three countries' deputy defense ministers are set to meet in the Turkish capital, Ankara, said three people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not public.
According to one of the sources, it is unclear whether a final agreement will also be signed after the two-day meeting.
Bloomberg notes that the defense ministries of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria refused to comment on the negotiations.
As noted by the media, the meeting will take place only a few days after the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, expressed objections to the presence of naval assets of other NATO allies, including the United States, in the Black Sea, saying that they could "fuel tension in the region".
If an agreement is reached, the mine-sweeping force would not be considered a NATO operation, but would be the first major joint action by the Black Sea allies since Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, the news agency notes.
The coalition aims to be completely peaceful and deal with the threat to the main trade route, especially for grain, and vessels engaged in the exploration of energy resources in the area, Bloomerg writes.
While Tatlıoğlu said that Turkey is capable of providing security in the Black Sea, US Under Secretary of State Liz Allen emphasized the need for a "secure and interconnected Black Sea Region," the media reported.
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said that Russia was using sea mines as uncontrolled drifting munitions, and it was precisely such mines that were discovered on March 26-28, 2022, off the coast of Turkey and Romania.
In July 2022, a Liberian-flagged ship discovered a sea mine off the coast of Bulgaria. Within days, a drifting sea mine was discovered approximately two nautical miles off the coast of Romania.
On September 20, 2023, the Romanian authorities announced the rescue of the Seama cargo ship crew. The crew claimed that the ship had hit a sea mine.
On October 12, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria agreed on the creation of a "tripartite initiative" to jointly combat sea mines in the Black Sea.
On November 17, the bulker Georgia S with a cargo of grain received minor damage shortly after leaving the Port of Pivdennyi near Odesa. The probable cause of the accident was a sea mine, Reuters reported.