ISTANBUL, August 7. /TASS/. Ankara will continue exerting effort to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
"Turkey will persistently continue to promote initiatives aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. It will also make efforts to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and will strictly observe the Montreux Convention," Fidan said at the opening ceremony of an annual conference of Turkish ambassadors dubbed "Turkish Foreign Policy in the Century of Turkey." His speech was broadcast on the TRT TV channel.
According to Fidan, as a signatory to the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Turkey will resist attempts "to put it at risk." The Turkish authorities said earlier that they had not allowed a single warship to enter the Black Sea since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, and remained committed to the 1936 convention.
Turkey’s top diplomat also clarified the strategic priorities of the country’s foreign policy, which include the implementation of initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region, uncompromising fight against terrorist organizations and active cooperation with partners aimed at increasing the country’s prosperity.
When speaking about Turkey’s relations with the European Union, Fidan noted that "without Turkey, the EU will not be able to become a truly global actor." He also slammed attempts by some countries to create obstacles on Ankara’s way to the EU as "strategic blindness." The top diplomat also said that the current international security system was facing numerous crises with unpredictable consequences and needed an upgrade.