Necva Tastan
31 January 2024•Update: 31 January 2024
ISTANBUL
The 1936 Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage of ships through the Turkish Straits, remains a "guarantee" for regional security, Türkiye's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
"The Montreux Convention continues to serve as a guarantee of the region's security," Hakan Fidan told reporters in the Romanian capital Bucharest following talks with his counterpart Luminita Odobescu.
He emphasized that Ankara is implementing the accord, signed between 10 nations including both Türkiye and Romania, in an "impartial and meticulous" manner and reiterated that any discussions on it are out of the question.
Gaza Strip
Fidan noted that during their meeting, he and Odobescu discussed recent developments in the Balkans and the Middle East.
The situation in the Gaza Strip was among the matters they discussed, he said, calling on Israel to implement provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice earlier this month and declare an immediate cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, where survivors face challenges of hunger and epidemic diseases, he said.
"The prevention by Israel of humanitarian aid and medical supplies from entering Gaza should never be accepted by the international community," asserted Fidan.
"We cannot and should not remain silent as 2 million people are left to die under bombardment, hunger, and epidemic diseases," he said, calling on the "global public to take decisive action once again to prevent this massacre."
Türkiye-Romania relations
Praising his "very productive" meeting with Odobescu, Fidan pointed to increasing ties with "friendly and ally" Romania in several areas, including trade.
He emphasized that Romania is Türkiye's largest trading partner in the Balkan region, adding that their bilateral trade volume had exceeded $10 billion for two years in a row, with a target of $15 billion by 2025.
Fidan also highlighted the strong human connections with Romania, referring to Turkish and Tatar compatriots as a bridge of friendship between the two nations.
He also pointed to Bucharest's procurement of Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicle systems, making it the second NATO and EU member to do so after Poland.
On security, he pointed their cooperation under the NATO alliance, including in air policing missions in Romanian airspace with Turkish fighter jets.
He also said the two countries have "made and will continue to make significant contributions to ending the conflicts in Ukraine, ensuring global food security, and maintaining navigation safety in the Black Sea."
Fidan highlighted their joint efforts to counter the threat of drifting mines in the Black Sea, pointing to the re-establishment of the NATO Mine Countermeasures Task Group with Romania and Bulgaria.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last October.
The onslaught has killed more than 26,000 people, mostly women and children, displaced 85% of the blockaded enclave's population, and created conditions for famine. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack.
The International Court of Justice, in its interim ruling in the genocide case filed by South Africa, ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians.
Tel Aviv also has to submit a report to the ICJ on all measures taken to give effect to this order within one month.
