Turkey to host Black Sea security meeting

A high-level meeting focused on Black Sea security is being held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Naval Forces Command headquarters in Ankara, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

The meeting aims at discussing military planning measures to preserve peace in the region, particularly in the event of a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.

Military representatives from various countries are expected to attend, with discussions centered on the maritime dimension of maintaining stability in the Black Sea. The list of participating countries was not disclosed.

The meeting builds on earlier cooperation efforts, including the establishment of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group in July 2024.

The initiative, led by Turkey in coordination with Romania and Bulgaria, was launched to address the threat of drifting sea mines that emerged following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and discussed a range of issues, including the Ukraine conflict and the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.