Turkey is restricting commercial vessels from entering the Black Sea, sources
said, citing a rise in attacks on ships by Russian and Ukrainian forces. The
Turkish Coast Guard has told multiple vessels bound for Russia’s Novorossiysk, a
major oil and grain export hub, that it will not issue transit permits for such
voyages and that Dardanelles transit applications will face extended review.
Sources said some ships were told the restriction also applies to voyages to
Ukraine. Turkish authorities did not comment. The move could add new complexity
to global trade and oil flows already disrupted by the Iran war and reduced
traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
