Alleged threat to close the Bosphorus

Unconfirmed. There is no sourcing for this alleged information

URGENT: Turkey to CLOSE THE BOSPORUS STRAIT to all Russian Military Vessels!

superstation95,

21 February, 2016

Turkey intends to CLOSE the Bosporus Strait to Russian Naval Vessels, sealing them in (or out) of the Black Sea, claiming Russia is aiding "Kurd Terrorists" in Syria.

"Russia strengthens and supports PYD organization of Syria, (Kurds) which Ankara considers to be terrorists, and also responsible for the recent car Bombing in the Turkish Captial which left 28 dead.

 According to the pro-government Turkish daily "Sabah" Turkey complained that Russia, with its warships passing through the Straits toward the eastern Mediterranean, are carrying weapons and ammunition to supply the Kurds for "terrorist operations."

For this reason, Turkey says, it has the right to close the strait to the Russian Fleet.

In the past, Russia has publicly and specifically stated "Closing the Turkey Strait would automatically mean war."

Some are speculating that Turkish President Erdogan is simply bluffing, but others think he should be committed into a "madhouse" because his actions will destroy Turkey.

The Bosphorus (/ˈbɒsfərəs/) or Bosporus (/ˈbɒspərəs/; Ancient Greek: Βόσπορος, Bósporos; Turkish: Boğaziçi) is a natural strait and internationally-significant waterway located in northwestern Turkey that forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, the Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.

Most of the shores of the strait are heavily settled, straddled by the city of Istanbul's metropolitan population of 17 million inhabitants extending inland from both coasts.

Together with the Dardanelles (Hellespont) strait, the Bosphorus forms the Turkish Straits.

As a maritime waterway, the Bosphorus connects various seas along the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Near East, and Western Eurasia, and specifically connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Marmara further connects to the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas via the Dardanelles. Thus, the Bosphorus allows maritime connections from the Black Sea all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean via Gibraltar, and the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, making it a crucial international waterway, in particular for the passage of goods coming in from Russia.

A common mistake often made by foreigners is to assume the Bosphorus is a river, when it is, in fact, a narrow sea channel.

As part of the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Bosphorus has always been of great importance from a commercial and military point of view, and remains strategically important today. It is a major sea access route for numerous countries, including Russia and Ukraine. Control over it has been an objective of a number of hostilities in modern history, notably the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), as well as of the attack of the Allied Powers on the Dardanelles during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli in the course of World War I.

This is a developing story . . . please check back for further details.

Greece Offers Russia the Use of Its Port to Bypass the Dardanelles and Bosporus

Греция предложила РФ использовать свой порт в обход Дарданелл и Босфора

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/02/greece-offers-russia-use-of-its-port-to.html

The administration of Simferopol and the chamber of Commerce of the Greek region of Evros have signed a cooperation agreement. It aims to develop socio-economic and trade relations between Crimea and the Greek region. This was stated by the mayor of the city of Alexandroupolis - Evangelos Lambakis

"The interest of our chamber of Commerce is very serious. We could cooperate in many areas, considering that the city has one of the largest ports, which allows the exchange of goods to bypass the Dardanelles and Bosporus. Alexandroupolis becomes an energy link which passes through about three oil pipelines and one LNG station. Our region is one of the largest producers of wind energy. We could share these technologies with Crimea. Furthermore, the Evros is a region with highly developed agriculture and animal husbandry.

From December in Turkish media

Straits could be closed to Russian ships if Turkey’s security threatened

Facing a series of retaliations from Russia following the downing of a Russian jet by two Turkish F-16s last week and an increasing Russian military presence in Syria since the incident, Turkey may play its valuable trump card and close its straits to Russian ships if it considers its national security threatened.