Türkiye Romania & Bulgaria want to find an agreement on mines in Black Sea.

According to information published by Bloomberg on November 20, 2023, NATO members Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria are close to finalizing an agreement to establish a joint mine-clearing force in the Black Sea. This initiative is a direct response to the increased presence of sea mines in the region.
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Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto and Turkish frigate TCG Turgutreis. (Picture source: NATO)

Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea has become a region of heightened maritime security concerns due to the presence of floating naval mines. Turkish military dive teams have been actively engaged in defusing mines found in Turkish waters, with three such operations conducted since March 26, 2022​​.

The first stray mine was detected by Turkey near Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on March 26, followed by another off the coast of Igneada near the Bulgarian border on March 28​​.

This issue is not confined to Turkey alone. Romania also neutralized a mine on March 28, emphasizing the widespread nature of the threat. To address this, defense ministers from Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine held a virtual meeting to discuss the threat and emphasized the importance of cooperation in the Black Sea.

The situation has led to a variety of speculations and analyses regarding the origins and purposes of these mines. Some analysts view the floating mines as part of the ongoing propaganda wars between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting that Russia may have deployed these mines to create confusion or to implicate Ukraine in hindering international trade in the Black Sea​​.

Conversely, other experts believe that Ukraine might have deployed the mines to prevent Russian actions and to attract more international involvement in the conflict. This move, as speculated, could create a perception of unsafe navigation in the Black Sea, potentially triggering an international naval response under the auspices of NATO, EU, or the UN​​.