Turkey to keep Black Sea closed to military vessels - expert

TASS · 🇺🇦 public Ukraine · Aug 12, 2026 · 449 words

International Law/Montreux Convention NATO-Turkey Relations Turkish Sovereignty

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What to know about International Law/Montreux Convention

The article reports on Turkey's commitment to the Montreux Convention, which regulates military vessel access to the Black Sea during the conflict in Ukraine. It features commentary from international relations expert Canan Tercan and mentions requests from NATO allies for waivers, while outlining the legal framework of the 1936 treaty.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Turkey will not make concessions regarding the Montreux Convention and will not allow military ships into the Black Sea amid the Ukraine conflict, Turkish expert on international relations Canan Tercan told TASS.

Why it matters

Omer Celik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party, earlier reported that several NATO allies had approached Ankara seeking possible waivers to the convention.

Common ground

However, he added that Turkey remains firmly committed to complying with the treaty.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this International Law/Montreux Convention story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Article 19 stipulates that if Turkey does not participate in a war, the straits are closed for warships of parties to the conflict or landlocked countries?
How does this story connect International Law/Montreux Convention with NATO-Turkey Relations over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/world/2171821

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 3

verified Verified 1

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified

Claim 1: “Article 19 stipulates that if Turkey does not participate in a war, the straits are closed for warships of parties to the conflict or landlocked countries.”

VERIFIED

Multiple web sources specifically cite Article 19 as the mechanism that allows Turkey to close the straits to warships of belligerent states when Turkey is not a party to the conflict.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Istanbul Canal (Turkish: Kanal İstanbul pronounced [kɑnɑɫ isˈtɑnbuɫ]) is a project for an artificial sea-level waterway planned by Turkey in East Thrace, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Mar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_Canal

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The (Montreux) Convention regarding the Regime of the Straits, often known simply as the Montreux Convention, is an international agreement governing the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits in Turkey. Si…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Soviet Union–Turkey relations were the diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Turkey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union–Turkey_relations

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “The Montreux Convention was signed in 1936 in Switzerland by representatives of ten states (Australia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Greece, Romania, the Soviet Union, Turkey, France, Yugoslavia, Japan).”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and specialized educational sites (UPSC), confirm the convention was signed on July 20, 1936, in Montreux, Switzerland, by the listed nations.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fairmont Le Montreux Palace is a luxury hotel located on the shores of Lake Geneva at Avenue Claude Nobs 2, in the city of Montreux in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and managed by Michael Smithui…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Le_Montreux_Palace

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Montreux Convention Regarding the Abolition of the Capitulations in Egypt was an international convention concluded on May 8, 1937 that led to the abolition of the extraterritorial legal system fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 3: “Turkey has enforced this article since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the provided evidence explains what Article 19 is, the specific search results for claim 4 contain general information about Turkey and the convention but do not explicitly confirm the act of enforcement since the start of the Ukraine operation. However, claim 3's evidence hints at it; but the specific evidence block for claim 4 is irrelevant.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Soviet Union–Turkey relations were the diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Turkey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union–Turkey_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar_Convention

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “Articles 20 and 21 of the document... provide for Turkey’s exclusive rights to control the passage of military vessels through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits if it is at war or feels directly threatened by a war”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic homepages for The New York Times and CNN, providing no factual information regarding Articles 20 and 21 of the convention.

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web search NEUTRAL — Stay informed with The New York Times' comprehensive coverage of global news, politics, business, arts, sports and more.
https://www.nytimes.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.
https://www.cnn.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — The best classic and new articles, nonfiction and essays from around the net - interesting articles and essays in English to read free online
https://tetw.org/Greats

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Claim 5: “Omer Celik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party, earlier reported that several NATO allies had approached Ankara seeking possible waivers to the convention.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by both TASS (cross-reference) and a separate TASS web search result, confirming that Omer Celik stated NATO allies approached Ankara for waivers.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952, has its second largest army and is the host of the Allied Land Command headquarters. The Incirlik and Konya Airbases have both been involved in several NAT…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_NATO

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Turkish Straits crisis was a Cold War–era territorial conflict between the Soviet Union and Turkey. Turkey had remained officially neutral throughout most of the Second World War. After the war en…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Straits_crisis

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+ 4 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “According to the convention, all of the signatories may propose amendments to the document.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence discusses aircraft carriers and accession to the treaty, but does not explicitly state the rules regarding which signatories may propose amendments.

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web search NEUTRAL — Although the Montreux Convention is cited by the Turkish government as prohibiting aircraft carriers from transiting the Straits,[29] the treaty actually contains no explicit prohibition on aircraft c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_…

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web search NEUTRAL — The present Convention shall, as from the date of its entry into force, be open to accession by any Power signatory to the Treaty of Peace at Lausanne signed on the 24th July, 1923. Each accession sha…
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention

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web search NEUTRAL — Now the Montreux Convention is serving an important role in the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine has asked Turkey to close the straits to Russian warships, highlighting the Turkish role in keeping regional p…
https://theconversation.com/what-the-montreux-convention-is-…

info

Claim 7: “A unanimous approval of all signatories is needed for amending key military articles, while a three-quarters majority, including Turkey, is required for less significant articles.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions of the word 'amending' and does not contain the actual legal requirements for amending the Montreux Convention.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Synonyms for AMENDING: improving, enhancing, upgrading, refining, remedying, perfecting, ameliorating, remediating; Antonyms of AMENDING: worsening, impairing, damaging, injuring, harming…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amending

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web search NEUTRAL — AMENDING definition: 1. present participle of amend 2. to change the words of a text, especially a law or a legal…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/amending

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web search NEUTRAL — 1. to modify, rephrase, or add to or subtract from (a bill, constitution, etc.) by formal procedure: Congress may amend the proposed tax bill. 2. to change for the better; improve. 3. to remove or cor…
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/amending

verified

Claim 8: “It guarantees freedom of commercial shipping in the straits in peacetime.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and other reference sources explicitly state that the convention guarantees free passage for civilian/commercial ships in peacetime.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Turkey which is straddled by the city of Istanbul. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dardanelles ( DAR-də-NELZ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey that …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.