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Erdogan raises Black Sea safety in call with Putin
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 7, telling him Turkey is ready to contribute to efforts for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, and stressing the importance of safety of navigation in the Black Sea, according to Erdogan's office. The two Presidents discussed bilateral relations, as well as regional and gloabl issues, Turkey's Directorate of Communications said. Erdogan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and his party's success in the latest Russian parliamentary elections, the office said. The security situation for Black Sea shipping has worsened over the past weeks. Drones reportedly struck several merchant vessels in the Black Sea on Oct. 6, including two ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. A Russian strike on a separate civilian vessel killed at least one crew member and injured several others. One crew member, a steward, was killed, and seven others were injured when a Russian drone struck a merchant vessel flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Black Sea, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. The vessel was carrying rapeseed oil and was damaged in the strike, with a fire breaking out in the superstructure. Separately, two merchant ships, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and...