Frachtschëff Transportschëff

The creation of the Istanbul Canal

The plans for the creation of a new shipping canal linking the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have attracted strong national and international criticism. According to a recent open letter signed by 104 former Turkish admirals, the construction of this canal would violate the Montreux Convention. In this context, our MP Gusty Graas put a number of questions to the responsible ministers. Among other matters, he wanted to know whether this construction actually violates the Montreux Convention provisions and what the international consequences would be.

« La Turquie envisage de créer un nouveau chenal navigable reliant la Méditerranée et la Mer Noire, à l’instar d’un bypass du Bosphore. Ce projet, d’ailleurs déjà présenté en 2011 par l’ancien Premier Ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suscite de vives critiques nationales et internationales. Selon 104 anciens amiraux turques, signataires d’une lettre ouverte, la réalisation de ce chenal violerait la Convention de Montreux signée en 1936 et menacerait ainsi l’exercice de la libre circulation dans les détroits des Dardanelles et du Bosphore, ainsi que dans la Mer Noire.

A ce sujet j’aimerais poser les questions suivantes à Messieurs les Ministres :

  • Est-ce que la construction de ce chenal serait contraire aux dispositions de la Convention de Montreux ?
  • Est-ce que la réalisation de ce projet pourrait permettre à la Turquie d’exercer le contrôle sur les transports maritimes en matière d’énergie et militaires entre la Mer Noire et la Méditerranée?
  • Est-ce que ce projet ne pourrait pas provoquer de nouvelles tensions avec la Bulgarie et la Roumanie, voir même avec l’Ukraine et la Russie ?
  • Est-ce que ce projet, réanimé au cours d’une visite de la Présidente de la Commission Européenne et du Président du Conseil européen, ne pourrait pas entraver davantage les relations, d’ailleurs déjà très tendues, avec la Turquie ?
  • Face à ce problème, les États-Unis d’Amérique sont en train de développer une stratégie individuelle. Un accord de défense avec la Grèce leur confère un statut prioritaire dans l’utilisation du port grec Alexandroupoli,  porte d’entrée vers les Balkans et la mer Noire à valeur hautement stratégique pour la marine américaine. Quelle pourrait être une réaction de l’Union européenne ?»

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