Ukraine Asks Turkey to Close the Dardanelles to Russia

The Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, has called on the Turkish government via Twitter to close the Dardanelles straits to Russia. "I urge the Turkish administration to assist Ukraine. We demand the closure of the Dardanelles straits. We want to impose sanctions against the Russian side. We request the detention of Russian stocks here," he wrote.

The Daily Sabah reports that under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey controls the Bosporus and Dardanelles and has the right to regulate the passage of naval vessels, including the ability to close the straits to foreign warships in times of war or threat.