Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Türkiye, Dec. 1, 2025. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
ANKARA, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ankara "cannot in any way" excuse the recent attacks on commercial tankers off Türkiye's Black Sea coast, and has issued warnings to all relevant parties, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
The attacks within Türkiye's exclusive economic zone indicate "an alarming escalation" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which "clearly threatens navigational safety in the Black Sea," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting.
Ankara is monitoring "the recent momentum toward ending the war," and "stands ready to make the necessary contributions" to efforts aimed at reaching a settlement, he added.
According to Turkish authorities, an empty oil tanker called Virat was first targeted by unmanned surface vessels on Friday, and another empty Russia-bound tanker, Kairos, caught fire later in the day after an explosion 28 miles off the Turkish coast. Turkish authorities said the explosion on Kairos was caused by "an external factor." Virat came under a second attack in the Black Sea on Saturday morning, sustaining minor damage.
On Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the two attacked tankers were sailing under the Gambian flag and en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, and that the port itself also came under attack on Saturday. The ministry said Ukrainian intelligence services had claimed responsibility for the attacks. ■
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Türkiye, Dec. 1, 2025. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)