Turkey reconsidering Montreux convention

Turkey may renege on the Montreux convention, which regulates the movement of ships in the Bosporus and Dardanelle straits. Some politicians claim that large oil tankers passing though the waterways are a threat to the environment of the Black Sea region.

The convention was signed in 1936 in order to allow free transport for ships, but at the time signatories could not have predicted that the region would become a major oil transport route.

Turkish politicians hope that, apart from the current collection of fees for passage through the straits, serious measures can be taken to prevent more oil spills and leakages.

In 2011, more than 95 000 vessels passed through the Bosporus and Dardanelles. Out of this number, 18 000 ships carried dangerous or explosive cargo. Almost 500 accidents have occurred in the straits since the 1950s.