, condemning the incident as a violation of international law.){kind=link}
Turkey’s foreign ministry said a commercial vessel targeted in an attack in the Black Sea on Thursday was located in Turkey’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), condemning the incident as a violation of international law.
A Turkish-operated oil tanker sailing under the Sierra Leone flag was attacked early Thursday about 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) from the Bosporus, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said, noting that an explosion occurred in the vessel’s engine room.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli later clarified in a statement on X that the attack took place within Turkey’s EEZ, a maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast where it has rights over natural resources.
Türk İşletenli Bir Ticari Gemiye Yönelik Karadeniz'de Gerçekleştirilen Saldırı Hakkında:
Ham petrol taşıyan “ALTURA” isimli, Sierra Leone bayraklı ve Türk işletenli tankere yönelik bugün (26 Mart) Karadeniz'de gerçekleştirilen saldırıyı büyük endişeyle karşılıyoruz.
Saldırıya…
— Öncü Keçeli | Dışişleri Bakanlığı Sözcüsü (@oncukeceli) March 26, 2026
“Such attacks pose serious risks to the safety of life, property, navigation and the environment in the region,” Keçeli said, adding that Turkey is in contact with relevant parties to prevent further escalation.
He said the 27 crew members, all of whom are Turkish nationals, were uninjured and that authorities were carrying out technical inspections and response efforts.
Keçeli also said Ankara reserves the right to take necessary measures under international law to protect its economic interests.
Uraloğlu said preliminary findings suggest the explosion may have been caused by an unmanned sea vehicle targeting the engine room, hinting at a deliberate external attack aimed at disabling the ship.
He added that the incident could be linked to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has increased risks for commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
According to Reuters, citing ship-tracking data, the vessel had departed from Russia’s Novorossiysk port carrying around 1 million barrels of crude oil. Data from Refinitiv AIS showed the ship is owned by China-based Sea Grace Shipping Ltd. and managed by Turkey-based Pergamon Shipping.
The tanker, identified as the Altura, is under sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom. The UK added the vessel to its sanctions list on February 24, citing its role in transporting Russian-origin oil to third countries.
The incident comes amid rising security concerns in the Black Sea, which is bordered by Russia, Ukraine and several other countries and has been a focal point of the Russian war on Ukraine for more than four years.
Turkey’s defense ministry also said on Thursday that it is closely monitoring risks posed by unmanned vehicles in the region, warning that drones used extensively in the war could drift toward Turkish waters.
“We are talking to our counterparts and conveying necessary warnings to maintain navigational safety in the Black Sea,” the ministry said at a weekly briefing, adding that Turkish naval forces are patrolling the area.
Similar incidents have occurred in recent months, including Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia-bound tankers, prompting warnings from Moscow and calls for restraint from NATO member Turkey.
Ankara has repeatedly urged both Kyiv and Moscow to avoid military actions near its territorial waters.