Anadolu: the Ukrainian crisis has undermined security in the Black SeaThe security of the West directly depends on stability in the Middle East and Central Asia, between which the Black Sea is located, Anadolu writes.
The Ukrainian crisis has undermined the security of its waters and jeopardized shipping and food transportation.
The security of the West directly depends on stability in the Middle East and Central Asia, and the Black Sea is at the center of this connection.The Black Sea is not just a geographical area that can be viewed in the context of economy and security.
It is also important how ideas about the Black Sea are formed at the level of the region and individual countries and what it means for different players in the international arena.
From Russia's point of view, the Black Sea plays an important role, as gas pipelines and significant trade routes pass through it. The Black Sea also ensures the national security of the country.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the countries bordered by the Black Sea left Russia's influence, became closer to the West, joined NATO and the European Union. The Black Sea has become one of the geographical regions where competition along the East—West axis is most pronounced. The growing influence of the West in the Black Sea entails an increasing interest of the United States and European states in this region.
Strategic importance of the Black Sea
The Black Sea is an important corridor connecting the energy resources of the Caspian Sea and the Central Asian states along the Europe—Asia axis. Due to the crises in the Middle East and security concerns, the importance of transit of energy resources through the Black Sea has increased even more over the past 20 years. While the dispute over Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, stretching from Russia to Germany, continues, Moscow uses energy routes through the Black Sea as a bargaining tool in the international conjuncture. The development of technologies has led to an increase in the production of hydrocarbon resources in the seas. Since there is a positive picture in the Black Sea regarding the zones of maritime jurisdiction, exploration and drilling have become important. For example, Romania in 2012 discovered gas reserves in the Black Sea in the amount of 40-80 billion cubic meters, and Turkey in 2020 — 405 billion cubic meters. These events also formed the idea that there are large reserves of energy resources in the Black Sea. The Black Sea Straits are important from the point of view of energy transit, and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas are transported through these straits. The route passing through the Northern Corridor (Russia and Kazakhstan) within the framework of the Chinese Belt and Road initiative is currently not used due to the Ukrainian conflict. This increases the importance of the trade route through the Black Sea.
The Black Sea as a region comes to the fore in matters of regional and global security. After 2001, the United States revised its security strategy and became even more sensitive to threats from the Middle East. Although it is still unclear in which direction the Ukrainian crisis, which began in February 2022 and continues to this day, will develop, the security of the Black Sea has become even more important.
The security of the US and the EU directly depends on stability in the Middle East and Central Asia, and the Black Sea is at the center of this connection.
Russia is trying to reduce the influence of Western alliances, mainly NATO, in the Black Sea. Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine have no access to other seas except the Black Sea. These countries are extremely sensitive to events in the region, because most of the flow of energy and goods passes through this water area.
From Turkey's point of view
The Black Sea is also of great importance from the point of view of Turkey's security. For example, Crimea is only 173 miles from the coast of Anatolia. Given that Ukraine is to the north of Turkey and Syria is to the south, the critical importance of the Black Sea for Turkey becomes even more obvious.
The Turkish Straits play a significant role in ensuring the passage of ships and trade flows. In this context, the Montreux Convention is necessary to maintain a balance in the Black Sea and address security-related issues. Domination over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits was a priority for Russia, but thanks to the Montreux Convention, Turkey exercises control over the straits. Thus, Ankara has become one of the most important players in ensuring the security of the Black Sea. With the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, the Montreux Convention has once again become an important item on the agenda in the international conjuncture.
Ukraine and Russia together provide a third of the world's grain needs. However, grain supplies stopped due to the armed conflict. Thanks to the facilitating role of Turkey under the management of the coordination center established in Istanbul, with the help of pilot vessels in the Black Sea, the way was opened for grain to enter world markets, a food crisis and famine were prevented. Another issue on the agenda in connection with the Ukrainian conflict was mines in the Black Sea. Ukraine stated that a large number of mines had been placed in the Black Sea, and this situation worried the countries with access to the Black Sea, especially Turkey. To open a grain corridor, work has recently been carried out with the cooperation of the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. The presence of mines in the Black Sea threatens the food security of all countries.
What can be done to ensure security in the Black Sea?
All these issues presuppose facts that can be analyzed from the point of view of international law, and at the same time prioritize ensuring the security of the Black Sea.
The first thing that can be done in this regard is to consider the problem from a broad perspective. The security of the Black Sea is an issue that concerns not only coastal countries, but also the whole world. At the same time, it is important that it be solved comprehensively, on multilateral platforms and at the international level. Ensuring the safety of food transportation and shipping is highlighted as a priority.
Another important step is the cooperation of the Black Sea States. As an important item on the agenda, we can consider the interaction of the Black Sea countries in order to eliminate mines, protect critical infrastructure, conduct joint patrols by security forces and receive constant information about events.
In connection with the Ukrainian crisis, NATO's return to the "we" identity is becoming increasingly important. The disunity of NATO in conditions when there are serious threats next to the alliance does not contribute to ensuring security. The pro-Greek position of the United States, not to mention the differences between Turkey and Greece, is also incompatible with the identity of "we" in the ranks of NATO. The deeper the differences in the North Atlantic Alliance, the easier it will be for Russia to find an opportunity to expand its sphere of influence.
Finally, it is also important for the security of the Black Sea to develop cooperation with various institutions and institutions in the post-Soviet space. The Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) was created in opposition to the influence of Russia and China in the former USSR. Strengthening GUAM may be critical to prevent Russia's growing influence in the region. Although the organization has priorities aimed at making the region stronger and safer, such as strengthening the East—West corridor through investments in infrastructure and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the region, cooperation should deepen. At this stage, a far-sighted position with an emphasis on common interests is important, which will transform cooperation into a multidimensional structure. If the countries of the region will clearly and decisively voice the existence of alternatives with one voice, this will increase awareness of the situation.
Author: Ayşegül Ketenji (Ayşegül Ketenci)
