Turkey should remain committed to Montreux Convention, says CHP leader

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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), cut short his visit to Denizli province after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine this morning (February 24).

Turkey should remain committed to the Montreux Convention, an international treaty on the regime of İstanbul and Çanakkale straits, Kılıçdaroğlu told NGO representatives and neighborhood heads at an event before heading off for Ankara, the capital.

The convention is very important for Turkey's security and "should not be implemented in a different way under influence of others," he said.

Yesterday, Ukraine asked Turkey to close the straits to Russia's naval ships, as well as imposing sanctions on Moscow.

However, according to the convention, Turkey should allow the passage of naval ships of the Black Sea states in both peacetime and wartime unless it is involved in the war.

"Each wrong step to be taken will cost us dearly," Kılıçdaroğlu said, recalling the February 2020 airstrikes that killed 33 soldiers of Turkey in Syria's Idlib and are widely believed to be carried out by Russia.

"Thirty-three of our soldiers were martyred in Syria. I bring to your attention the burden that any negative situation will put on us in Syria," he remarked.

Turkey's dependence on Russia

Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the government over Turkey's economic dependence on Russia, especially in tourism and natural gas. "I've been warning the government since 2019. You can't make the economy of a country so dependent on another country."

"We have come to a point where we are devastated when they don't send tourists. We are devastated when they don't deliver natural gas. What will happen if we can't buy wheat?" he said.

After the government's security summit, the parliament should also hold an urgent meeting, the CHP leader further said. (TP/VK)