Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar believes the sea mines that are plaguing the Black Sea were released on purpose, in order to pressure Turkey to allow NATO minesweepers into the Black Sea. Without directly saying it, Akar blames NATO or Ukraine.
“We have doubts as to whether the mines were left intentionally. Maybe these mines were left within a plan for NATO minesweepers to enter the Black Sea,” Akar told members of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Decision and Executive Board at a meeting last week. According to Hurriyet Daily News, Akar said the plan might be aimed at putting pressure on Turkey.
Nonetheless, he said Ankara is determined to comply with the requirements of the Montreux Convention, according to anonymous sources. “We do not know who left the mines in the Black Sea. They are Russian-made, but the issue of which country left it is under investigation. There are reports that there are around 400 mines. We talked to the Bulgarian and Romanian authorities. They also carry out monitoring,” Akar stated.
