Grain agreement: the expert offers options for the involvement of NATO

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The expert emphasized that the Turkish Navy can also guarantee the safety of maritime traffic to the ports of Ukraine.

“If Russia withdraws from the agreement, the guarantees of the transit of maritime traffic of ships to Ukrainian ports must be provided by the Turkish Navy or other states that are ready to involve both the Turkish side and the UN in this operation,” said the head of security projects of the Center for Global Studies “Strategy 21” Pavlo Lakiychuk on Ukrainian Radio.

According to him, such a solution may include the use of a peacekeeping contingent, for example, from the permanent operational group of NATO in the Mediterranean Sea.

Since the Turkish Navy is much more powerful than the Russian Navy, Ankara has every opportunity to ensure peace in the waters of the Black Sea while transporting Ukrainian grain to the countries of Africa and Asia.

“The Turkish Navy has strengthened a lot over the past 30 years. Although Turkey does not concentrate warships on a permanent basis in the Black Sea, it has a powerful navy that significantly exceeds the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation,” the expert added.

At the same time, he noted that the Turkish side controls the Black Sea straits, relying on the Montreux Convention on the passage of warships in the Black Sea.

“Here, a lot depends on Turkey, if the UN or some other international organization decides to launch the Black Sea initiative of escorting vessels of the navies of other states,” Pavlo Lakiychuk emphasized.

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The main headquarters of the Turkish Navy is located in the capital of the country, Ankara. The headquarters of the fleet commander (the main Turkish naval base) is located in Geldcuk, in the Gulf of Izmir, almost by the Bosphorus Strait. The headquarters of the Southern Maritime District is located in the city of Antalya.