Akar: Turkey attaches importance to peace and stability in Black Sea region

Turkey is making every effort to reduce tension in the Black Sea region. All disagreements in the region should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations, Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar told Turkish journalists covering a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Report informs.

"We attach importance to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and Ukraine. As President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] said, Ankara has done and continues to do everything possible to reduce the level of tension," Akar said.

The Turkish minister emphasized that thanks to the Montreux Convention [on the status of the straits of 1936], a certain status quo has formed in the Black Sea: “Thanks to this, the balance of power was maintained in the Black Sea region, security and stability were ensured. We declare this at every opportunity, and it is vital," Akar said.