Türkiye has sent a proposal to Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, a Turkish diplomat told AFP on Thursday.
The move follows a sharp increase in attacks in the Black Sea, where at least 25 Turkish-owned vessels have been hit since late June, according to industry figures.
"We have shared a text of a memorandum, a draft text, with the Russians and the Ukrainians to come up with a solution to those strikes taking place in the Black Sea," the diplomat said.
He said the proposal was "inspired by" the grain corridor mechanism — a 2022 agreement brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations to ensure safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea without the risk of attack.
Although Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, Ukraine established an alternative route along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria.
"In that mechanism, there is maybe a four- or five-mile gap where the Ukrainian ship has to leave the national territorial waters and travel in international waters, which is the risky part," he explained.
"So our offer is also inspired by this."
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