Hürriyet
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
U.S. presses Turkey to allow NATO forces’ deployment to Black Sea

The United States is expected to pile pressure on Turkey to deploy permanent
NATO navy forces for patrol missions in the organization’s summit which
would start in Brussels. Turkey is concerned that such move would open a
debate on the 1936 Montreux Convention and eventually harm its sovereign
rights on the straits.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan attended the meeting of 26 NATO foreign
ministers that met in Brussels on Tuesday. The members are expected to
reaffirm their support for Georgia and send a strong message to Russia
without freezing out Moscow diplomatically.
Turkey has long opposed to the deployment of NATO navy forces on the Black
Sea, saying the region is safe and the Blackseafor’s, which was formed by
the contribution of the surrounding countries, patrol mission is sufficient.
Diplomatic sources, however, told hurriyet.com.tr that the clashes between
Georgia and Russia had weakened Turkey’s thesis, prompting the U.S. to
relaunch its bid for deployment of NATO forces on the Black Sea.
The deployment of NATO forces in the Black Sea would breach the Montreux
Agreement, which limits the total weight of the warships that a country who
does not have border with the Black Sea can deploy to 45,000 tons.
The Turkish Straits are considered as one of the most strategic waterways of
the world and located within Turkey’s territorial waters. The Montreux
Convention, reinstating its sovereignty over the strategic Turkish Straits,
and regulating navigation through them, was signed in 1936.