Turkey’s decision to close the Black Sea\u2019s only access point from the Mediterranean is putting massive strain on the Russian navy, with some ships having to travel to the Pacific for vital maintenance. Iain Ballantyne, an expert on naval warfare, also said recent drone attacks by Ukrainian forces had robbed Russia of the ability to operate in the west of the waterway, seriously hampering Putin more than eight months after declaring war on his neighbour.<\/p>\n
Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, controls access to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits – and confirmed it was closing off the narrow passage to warships on February 28, four days after Putin announced his full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n
Mr Ballantyne is the editor of International Warships Fleet Review as well as an historical author who has recently published his latest book, HMS London.<\/p>\n
He told Express.co.uk: “This has forced Russia to send warships needing maintenance after long months in a face off with NATO in the Mediterranean home to either the Pacific, the Baltic or the Arctic rather than to Black Sea naval shipyards.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as providing Russia\u2019s President other a major headache, the move has also underlined Turkey’s increasing influence, especially in the Mediterranean region, Mr Ballantyne pointed out.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cThe predominant NATO naval power in the Black Sea is Turkey with a very capable, balanced fleet, including frigates, minehunters and submarines\u2026and also on the cutting edge with using drones across various missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other NATO navies do their bit too, including the ex-HMS London, in which I sailed to Murmansk and Archangel in 1991 and which serves on to this day as the ROS Regina Maria in the Romanian fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking after a week during which three Russian warships including the flagship Admiral Makarov were reportedly damaged by Ukrainian drone attacks, he added: \u201cThe Russian Navy has lost the ability to operate in the western Black Sea following the loss of the cruiser RFS Moskva, plus other vessels, and was also forced to quit Snake Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday it is not even safe in its main base of Sevastopol, in the Crimea, as demonstrated in recent months via Ukrainian air and sea drone attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been forced to fall back on its major naval base at Novorossiysk on the eastern shores of the Black Sea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a major naval hub for Russia for some years, as I saw when I visited there in the early 1990s, and is even more important to Moscow now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turkey’s increasingly important strategic role was emphasised by Alp Sevimlisoy, a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington specialising in NATO\u2019s role within the Mediterranean region,When he spoke to Express.co.uk last month.<\/p>\n
He explained: What we will be seeing and what we should be seeing is the creation of intelligence alliances equivalent to Five Eyes, which will encompass Turkey, the UK, the US and further, a direct military alliance between these three countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause more than even NATO, it’s those countries within NATO that are able to take part in operations overseas.\u201c<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe new strategic power, the supreme power in that region is Turkey now.<\/p>\n
\u201cRussia is at the behest of Turkey and rather than a personal relationship between national leaders, what we are seeing is that the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces, and President Erdogan by de facto have become the supreme power in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.\u201c<\/p>\n
Separately, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey on Thursday to set aside its reservations over Finland and Sweden\u2019s efforts to join the military alliance, insisting the Nordic neighbours have done enough to satisfy Ankara\u2019s concerns about their membership.<\/p>\n
Finland and Sweden applied for membership of the world\u2019s biggest security alliance in the months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February.<\/p>\n
In doing so, they abandoned longstanding policies of military nonalignment out of concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin might target them next.<\/p>\n
However, Turkey, which joined NATO in 1952, is still not ready to endorse them despite months of trilateral talks. The Turkish government wants them to crack down on individuals it considers terrorists, such as supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party and people suspected of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup in Turkey.<\/p>\n
Speaking after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters: \u201cFinland and Sweden have delivered on their commitment to Turkey. They have become strong partners in our joint fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO. Their accession will make our alliance stronger and our people safer.<\/p>\n
\u201dIn these dangerous times, it\u2019s even more important to finalise their accession, to prevent any misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Cavusoglu said the schedule for accepting them as new members would depend on when Turkey\u2019s demands, agreed upon in a joint memorandum, were fulfilled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not possible to say right now that the two countries have completely implemented all aspects of the memorandum,\u201d he added, while stressing that Turkey supports NATO\u2019s enlargement.<\/p>\n
Mr Cavusoglu said Turkey sees the new government in Sweden as \u201cmore determined\u201d to fulfil the memorandum signed in Madrid. The new Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, is scheduled to visit Ankara on Nov 8, he said.<\/p>\n
All 30 NATO member countries must officially ratify the accession protocol for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Only the parliaments of Turkey and Hungary have yet to do so.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n