Erdogan Calls Black Sea Attacks 'Inexplicable' in Zelenskiy Call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn't mincing words about the violence playing out on the Black Sea. During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Erdogan reportedly described the ongoing attacks in the region as flat-out inexplicable — a pretty pointed statement from a leader who has worked hard to keep one foot in both camps throughout the Russia-Ukraine war.

Turkey has long tried to play diplomatic middleman between Moscow and Kyiv, so Erdogan choosing that kind of language signals at least some frustration with how things are escalating on the water. The Black Sea has been a flashpoint since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, with both sides trading blows over shipping lanes and naval assets that are critical to global grain supplies and regional security.

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The call between the two leaders is a reminder of just how tangled Turkey's position really is. Ankara sold Ukraine its famous Bayraktar drones, yet it also refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and kept the Turkish Straits open as a pressure valve for diplomacy. Erdogan has essentially been the guy in the room everyone needs but nobody fully trusts — and that's not necessarily a bad place to be if your goal is staying relevant in peace talks.

Whether Erdogan's 'inexplicable' comment translates into any concrete diplomatic action remains to be seen. Turkey has previously helped broker deals like the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which collapsed in 2023, so there's at least a track record of Ankara trying to turn words into agreements. For now, the remark puts Turkey on record as uncomfortable with the current trajectory — even if it stops well short of pointing fingers at a specific party.

Continue reading at Reuters