Erdogan Calls Black Sea Attacks 'Inexplicable' in Zelenskiy Call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that ongoing attacks in the Black Sea are inexplicable, according to Reuters, underscoring Turkey's deepening discomfort with the escalating maritime dimension of the Russia-Ukraine war. The call reflects Ankara's persistent effort to position itself as a neutral broker capable of communicating with both sides.

Turkey occupies a uniquely sensitive strategic position in this conflict. As the nation controlling the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits under the Montreux Convention, Ankara holds formal authority over warship passage into the Black Sea — making the maritime theater especially consequential for Turkish interests, regional commerce, and broader NATO dynamics.

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Erdogan's use of the word 'inexplicable' is diplomatically charged. It stops short of assigning blame to any party while signaling that Turkey views the attacks as destabilizing and outside the bounds of what can be easily justified or rationalized. This kind of measured language has become a hallmark of Ankara's balancing act, allowing it to maintain working relationships with Moscow and Kyiv simultaneously.

The exchange comes as the Black Sea remains a flashpoint, with shipping routes, grain exports, and military posturing all converging in contested waters. Erdogan has previously brokered landmark agreements between Russia and Ukraine, most notably the 2022 grain deal facilitated through Istanbul, lending credibility to Turkey's self-appointed mediator role even as that deal later collapsed.

Whether Erdogan's private message to Zelenskiy carries actionable diplomatic weight remains to be seen, but the call itself signals that Turkey intends to remain an active voice in shaping how the conflict's maritime chapter unfolds. Continue reading at Reuters.