ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey has warned all coastal and non-coastal countries it would not allow warships through its straits Bosporus and the Dardanelles as a part of the Montreux Convention adopted in 1936.

“We warned all riparian and non-riparian countries not to let warships go through the straits,” Cavusoglu told reporters, as quoted by the Anadolu agency. “To date, there has been no request for passage through the straits.”

The Montreux Convention was adopted in 1936. It ensures the freedom of passage through the straits for merchant ships both in times of peace and war, but regulations may differ by country, reported Sputnik.

The document also limits the period of stay in the Black Sea of warships of non-Black Sea states to three weeks.

In emergency situations, Turkey has the right to prohibit or restrict the passage of military ships through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.

This comes at a time when tensions have escalated between Russia and Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of the independence of two Ukraine breakaway regions. (ANI)