At the beginning of the war, the closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships actually saved southern Ukraine. Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar wrote about this on his Facebook page , completing his diplomatic mission, UNN reports.
Details
“I am completing my diplomatic mission in the Republic of Turkey. The mission to Ankara was a great honor and responsibility for me. Strengthening the strategic partnership, building political dialogue, developing economic ties and interpersonal dialogue were the main tasks I had the honor to work on during 2021-2022. But the most important thing is to support Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This period was not easy, as it was for every Ukrainian. At the beginning of the war, the closure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships actually saved southern Ukraine. Turkey provided a platform for negotiations in Istanbul and Antalya and continues to play a key mediation role. Official Ankara helped to create a “grain corridor” that has significantly helped Ukraine's economy,” Bodnar wrote.
He also noted that over the years, cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the military-technical and defense sectors has been seriously strengthened. In particular, the amount of assistance from the Turkish company Baykar alone is more than $110 million, including the supply of the famous “bayraktars.” The construction of the company's plant in Ukraine is nearing completion. Armored vehicles “Kirpi” and “Cobra 2” have significantly strengthened the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the front line, helping to perform tasks and save the lives of our defenders.
Recall
On February 27, 2022, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that he was starting to act in accordance with the Montreux Convention and would close the Bosphorus Strait to Russian warships.