US cancels passage of its warships through straits

ANKARA

The US has canceled the planned deployment of two warships through the Turkish Straits toward the Black Sea, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

On April 9, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry received a formal notice from the US on the transit of the warships from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea via the Istanbul and Canakkale straits, which are both Turkish territorial waters.

The warships were set to reach the Black Sea on April 14 and 15 and remain there until May 4 and 5, according to the sources.

No notification has been issued on possible new passages, they added.