Turkey establishes Istanbul maritime command for Ukraine security mission

Turkey establishes Istanbul maritime command for Ukraine security mission Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 04/03/2026 - 14:52 Command will oversee the Black Sea component of post-war force in Ukraine, with support from Romania and Bulgaria as littoral states The Turkish aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu takes part in a military parade on the Bosphorus marking the 100th anniversary of the republic, in Istanbul, on 29 October 2023 (Bulent Kilic/AFP) Off Turkey has established a maritime command in Istanbul that will lead the naval mission under prospective security guarantees for Ukraine, the Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in January, following the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris, that Ankara would assume responsibility for a mission to help provide security in the Black Sea if Ukraine and Russia reach a final settlement to end the war that began in 2022. The defence ministry said on Thursday that, within the framework of this initiative - for which 33 countries have declared their willingness to participate - an operational headquarters for the force, known as the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), had been established in Paris with a core staff.