More than 100 retired admirals have called on the Turkish government to abandon plans to build Kanal Istanbul. A total of 104 retired admirals signed a declaration urging the government to maintain its commitment to the Montreux Convention, which regulates the shipping in the Bosporus and Dardanelles.
The retired admirals said it was "worrying" to open the Montreux treaty up to debate, calling it an agreement that "best protects Turkish interests". "We are of the opinion to refrain from any kind of rhetoric or action that could make the Montreux Convention ... a matter of controversy," they said.
Kanal Istanbul will connect the Black Sea north of Istanbul to the Marmara Sea to the south. It is intended to ease traffic on the Bosphorus Strait. Once completed, Kanal Istanbul will provide a shorter way for naval vessels from non-littoral countries to reach the Black Sea.
President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an Monday called the declaration released by retired admirals "malevolent," accusing it of featuring "coup implications."
"It is not acceptable for 104 admirals to come together one night and declare such a document," ErdoÄ?an stated. "This cannot be labeled as freedom of speech.
"Such actions would not be accepted anywhere in the world. We would also have expected the opposition to have a stronger stance on this action. We, once again, call on the main opposition CHP to side with democracy," he said in criticism of the Republican People's Party.
ErdoÄ?an underlined that the declaration slanders the Turkish military, saying: "Even if the declaration is signed by retired admirals, the attempt is a defamation against the Turkish Armed Forces.
"In Turkey, all the attacks against democracy have taken place following similar declarations. Since we, in our government, have a firm stance against these attempts, they do not dare to continue their plans," ErdoÄ?an warned.
Montreux Convention
Speaking about the Montreux Convention Erdogan said: "The Montreux Convention was an important gain for Turkey for its time. We are continuing our commitment to the Montreux Convention, at least until there is a favorable replacement.
"We don't have any intention and are not working to leave the Montreux Convention as of now. But if in the future there are other options, then we would be ready to re-evaluate the terms of the Montreux Convention in the international realm." ErdoÄ?an added that "the attempted link between the Kanal Istanbul project and the Montreux Convention is totally wrong," in reference to the project, which envisions a man-made passage in Istanbul to avoid possible accidents in the Bosporus, given the previous cases of ships crashing in the country.
Interestingly, 126 retired Turkish ambassadors released a statement on Friday, March 2, saying that the Kanal Istanbul project could put the Montreux Convention at risk and have an adverse affect on Turkish interests.
"Kanal Istanbul will open the Montreux Convention to discussion, and will lead to Turkey's loss of absolute sovereignty over the Sea of ... Marmara," the statement said.
Since the 1936 signing of the Montreux Convention, the legal instrument governing the regime of the straits, the size and capacity of the ships have grown enormously, raising major safety concerns, according to Daily Sabah.
According to the Montreux Convention, merchant vessels enjoy freedom of passage through the Turkish straits while passages of vessels of war are subject to some restrictions, which vary depending on whether or not these vessels belong to Black Sea riparian states. Vessels of war belonging to non-riparian states are subject to specific restrictions, including limits on the maximum aggregate tonnage and duration of stay in the Black Sea. Combat ships of non-Black Sea countries may not stay in the Black Sea for more than 21 days, and the combined tonnage of one country's ships may not exceed 30,000 tons.
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