An Unconventional Canal: Will Turkey Rewrite the Rules for Black Sea Access?

Since 1936, navigation through the Turkish Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention, which stipulates free civilian shipping through this critical waterway but limits the passage of warships, thus preserving the naval balance of power in the Black Sea. Now, however, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched the construction of a canal that he says will operate outside the convention. Is Erdogan trying to rewrite the rules governing the Turkish Straits - and what would that mean for Mediterranean and Black Sea security? In this FOI Brief, Aron Lund, an analyst at FOI's Asia and Middle East Programme, explains the role of the Turkish Straits, the Montreux Convention, and the Istanbul Canal to regional stability and security.