Türkiye downs unidentified drone over Black Sea as Ankara seeks to protect commercial ships
Turkish Defence Ministry says an unmanned aerial vehicle detected near the Black Sea was shot down in a safe area after failing to respond to control measures.
Türkiye’s Defence Ministry said that an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was detected and tracked under routine security procedures.
To ensure airspace safety, NATO-assigned and nationally controlled F-16 fighter jets were scrambled on an alert mission, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
It later emerged that the aerial track belonged to an out-of-control UAV, which was subsequently shot down in a secure area away from residential zones to prevent any risk, the statement added.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Black Sea, where Türkiye has warned against the war in Ukraine spilling over into commercial navigation and regional trade.
Ankara has recently proposed a limited security arrangement to protect shipping and energy infrastructure, recalling the UN- and Türkiye-brokered 2022 grain deal that ensured safe passage for vessels despite the conflict.
“If a comprehensive ceasefire and peace agreement cannot be reached, we are calling for a limited agreement in two areas: refraining from attacks on energy infrastructure and ensuring the safety of commercial navigation in the Black Sea,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday.
Fidan added that the previous grain deal had shown such arrangements were workable.
“That agreement protected not only grain vessels but all ships from being targeted. For a significant period, trade in the Black Sea continued without disruption despite the war. There is now a renewed need for a similar arrangement,” he said.
The Foreign Minister’s remarks came on Saturday after an alleged Russian strike hit a Turkish vessel transporting sunflower oil in the Black Sea, endangering the lives of 11 crew members.
It was the latest in a series of incidents in the Black Sea affecting Turkish-linked ships, which has prompted Turkish officials — including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — to urge restraint and stress that the Black Sea should not become an arena of confrontation.