Ankara to summon Moscow envoy over 'provocative' passing of Russian ships through Bosphorus

The Turkish Foreign Ministry is prepared to summon Russia's ambassador in Ankara on Dec. 7 in protest of the "provocative" passage of a Russian warship through the Bosphorus Strait, Turkish officials told Hürriyet Daily News. 

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu called on Russia to end the "provocative" passage of Russian warships through the Bosphorus after photos emerged of a Russian soldier holding a surface-to-air missile launcher on his shoulder in the firing position aboard Russia's "Caesar Kunikov" vessel. 

Turkey has not blocked any Russian ships passing through the Bosphorus and Ankara has entirely obeyed the Montreux Convention, the minister said on Dec. 7, speaking in a televised interview. 

"We implemented the Monteux [Convention] in both the passing of vessels and in ships that have to be stopped. Therefore Russia should give up provocative acts," he said. 

The Russian warship on which the soldier was seen holding the surface-to-air missile in a firing position passed through Istanbul's Bosphorus en route to the Mediterranean Sea on the morning of Dec. 6.

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