By Serdar Dincel and Umit Turk
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria have formed a Black Sea Mine Countermeasure Task Group to ensure maritime safety in the face of mines in the Black Sea, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"As part of the Türkiye-led Trilateral Agreement launched with Romania and Bulgaria, the Black Sea Mine Countermeasure Task Group (MCM Black Sea) was established to ensure maritime security against the threat of mines in the Black Sea," the ministry wrote on X.
The MCM Black Sea Committee meeting and signing ceremony was held in Istanbul on Monday with the participation of Adm. Ercument Tatlioglu, commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, plus Romanian Naval Forces Commander Vice Adm. Mihai Panait and Bulgarian Naval Forces Commander Rear Adm. Kiril Yordanov Mihaylov.
Following the ceremony, the task force sailed to the Black Sea with four military ships, including two from the Turkish Navy, one from the Romanian Navy, and one from the Bulgarian Navy.
Highlighting the strategic significance of the Black Sea and maritime route security during the meeting, Tatlioglu underscored that the success of the task force is vital for not just Türkiye, but for all regional countries.
Panait said this initiative is a crucial step to address the growing threat of sea mines and ensuring the safe passage of ships in these critical waters.
For his part, Mihaylov said the countries will ensure a safe environment and ensure the normal progress of maritime activities and safety of navigation.
In January, Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania signed an agreement to jointly tackle the mine threat in the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine war.