Press Releases

Embassy Press Statement

Statement on Black Sea Security Cooperation

Ankara, March 6, 2006

The Embassy wishes to clarify remarks made by Ambassador Wilson at a reception on March 3 to several journalists regarding Black Sea security cooperation.

The United States, Turkey and other littoral states have discussed improved cooperation in the region on economic, commercial, energy and security issues for some time.  Among the security issues are trafficking in drugs and people, terrorism, and the transit of illicit goods, weapons of mass destruction and related technologies.  In the Black Sea, several efforts are underway to look at improved regional cooperation on security matters, including Operation Black Sea Harmony and BLACKSEAFOR.  We appreciate Turkey’s leadership in these efforts.  For some time, Operation Black Sea Harmony has conducted a cooperative information exchange with NATO, which in turn uses this information to support Operation Active Endeavor, a similar regional security cooperation measure in the Mediterranean.  Turkey and the United States look forward to the continuation of that cooperation.

The issue of US Navy deployments into the Black Sea is entirely separate from this, and these are carried out consistent with existing international law.