Russia Expects Turkey To Have Responsible Approach To Montreux Treaty -Maria Zakharova

Moscow expects Ankara to have a responsible approach to the Montreux convention as it does not have any alternatives, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2021) Moscow expects Ankara to have a responsible approach to the Montreux convention as it does not have any alternatives, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Friday.

The spokeswoman recalled that Russia is a state party to the Montreux Convention.

"Any attempts to revise it would affect the interests of our country. We regard this convention as a key factor in stability and security in the Black Sea, especially with regard to naval navigation," the diplomat said.

Zakharova also said that there are no alternatives to the Montreux Convention.

"We see no alternatives to the international legal regime, which was established on the basis of the Montreux Convention.

We expect that all relevant states will take a responsible approach to its observance. And of course, Turkey plays a special role in this," the spokeswoman said.

On Sunday, more than a hundred retired Turkish admirals published a letter calling on Ankara to stay in the convention amid the country's plans to build a huge canal on the edge of Istanbul connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, which would not be covered by the treaty. The admirals also advocated keeping the current constitution, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for the development of a new one. On Monday, 10 of the retired admirals had been detained.