ISTANBUL

Türkiye expressed concern on Saturday following attacks on two commercial tankers in the Black Sea, warning that the incidents pose serious risks to regional safety and stability, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the attacks on the Gambia-flagged vessels KAIROS and VIRAT occurred within Türkiye’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), raising alarms about navigation safety and environmental security.

“These incidents that occurred within our Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea have posed serious risks to navigation, life, property, and environmental safety in the region,” Keceli said in a statement on X, the US social media company.

He added that Ankara continue contacts with relevant parties to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from spreading across the Black Sea and escalating, as well as to prevent any negative effect on Türkiye’s economic interests and activities in the region.