Turkey summons Ukrainian ambassador over attacks on Turkish vessels in Black Sea

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara over a series of attack on Turkish-operated vessels in the Black Sea, an anonymous source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

"During the meeting, Türkiye's reaction to the attacks in question was conveyed, and the necessary warnings were issued regarding the imperative of ensuring the safety and security of life, property, navigation and the environment in the Black Sea," the source added.

The summons came after a series of attacks on Turkish-operated commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

According to the source, the Ukrainian ambassador was summoned following the strike on the Turkish-operated vessel "Lider Bordo Mavi" off Tuapse in the Black Sea on Aug. 26, and the subsequent targeting of the "Lider Kocatepe" vessel, which was dispatched on Aug. 27 to tow the aforementioned ship.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said earlier this week that the escalation of attacks threatens not only the safety of lives and property but also the security of navigation and global food supplies.