Analyst: Turkey's Response Weak to Ukraine's Attack on Its Ship

A Turkish political analyst, Nijat Sezgin, has assessed that Ankara’s response to a Ukrainian military attack on a Turkish-flagged merchant vessel in the Black Sea is too weak relative to the magnitude of the threat and the potential for similar incidents in the future. According to a report by the IHA news agency, cited by RIA Novosti in Ankara on Tuesday, Ukrainian drones attacked a Turkish-flagged cargo ship carrying fruit and vegetables en route to Russia via the Black Sea on Monday. The attack, which according to the ship’s captain Yalcin Sahin involved six to seven drones, injured four crew members. “Turkey must give a much firmer response to any attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on its merchant ships. If there is no political or diplomatic response, similar incidents could recur,” Sezgin told RIA Novosti. Furthermore, he said, Ankara needs to demand an international investigation into the attack on the Turkish-flagged vessel and utilise diplomatic channels to prevent similar occurrences in the future. According to Sezgin, the attack on the merchant ship threatens the safety of international navigation in the Black Sea. However, the absence of an adequate response could set a dangerous precedent for future attacks on civilian vessels. Sezgin assessed that the situation risks disrupting trade, supply chains, logistics, and regional stability in the Black Sea if the international community fails to take effective preventive measures.