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Turkey Approves Agreement on Multi-National Black Sea Naval Force
The Turkish cabinet on Friday approved an agreement on forming a multi-national Black Sea naval force, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR), initiated by Turkey in 1998, will be formed by naval forces of all six Black Sea coastal countries, said the news agency.
The BLACKSEAFOR is believed to be of great importance, given the fact that Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, which belonged to two different blocs during the Cold War era, come together in cooperation in the Black Sea for the first time.
According to an agreement signed in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 2, 2001, the six countries are urged to create a cooperation framework between their naval forces, and the task force is foreseen to take action whenever it is called.
In addition to conducting a maneuver once a year, the task group will carry out search and rescue operations in the sea, humanitarian aid, anti-mine measures, environmental protection and other missions.
Diplomatic and military sources said that the BLACKSEAFOR is not a military alliance, and not directed against any other country.
It does not have permanent headquarters as it will form a force upon call, they said, adding the participating countries will allocate their ships and personnel on paper and bring them together when necessary.
The group will take all of its decisions unanimously and the capabilities of the group will not be used for the interests of any country.
At least four countries have to ratify the agreement for it to take effect.
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