Turkey begins restricting commercial ship traffic into the Black Sea after surge in attacks
Turkey has begun restricting commercial vessel traffic into the Black Sea following a surge in attacks on civilian shipping by Russia and Ukraine. According to Bloomberg sources, Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety has informed several vessels bound for Russia’s Novorossiysk port — a key oil and grain export hub — that it is temporarily not issuing transit permits through the Dardanelles Strait or requires additional time to review applications.
Turkish authorities have not provided an official explanation for the move. According to the sources, the restrictions effectively reduce vessel traffic into the Black Sea, where attacks on commercial shipping, including Turkish-owned vessels, have intensified in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that crew members, including Turkish nationals, were injured after drone attacks on two Turkish-owned vessels. The ministry called on all parties to the conflict to take urgent measures to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, warning that further escalation would have “multifaceted negative consequences,” including for global food security.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, some vessels have also been informed that the restrictions may apply to voyages bound for Ukrainian ports. However, ship-tracking data showed that vessels heading to Bulgarian and Turkish ports continued transiting the Dardanelles into the Black Sea.
The new restrictions could create additional risks for global trade. Oil flows are already under pressure due to the Iran-Israel war and reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the worsening security situation in the Black Sea is increasing concerns over grain exports from the region. These risks were among the factors that pushed global wheat prices to a two-year high in July.
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