02.04.2026 12:20
The Ministry of National Defense made a statement regarding the Istanbul Strait and the NATO bases claimed to be established in Adana. The Ministry stated, "There is no question of compromising the Montreux Convention. The establishment of the headquarters is ongoing, and only core personnel assignments have been made, and the multinational headquarters status has not yet been approved."
Ministry of National Defense (MSB) sources answered journalists' questions at the weekly press briefing.
The Ministry of National Defense made the following assessment regarding the question about the unfounded claims of a political party leader concerning our downed C-130 aircraft:
"Statements made by a political party leader targeting the Turkish Armed Forces and made for political motives are a clear disinformation aimed at misleading the public. The statements in question, which are not based on any concrete evidence, contain unfounded claims aimed at discrediting the Turkish Armed Forces in the public eye, and the official statements made are deliberately distorted. Particularly regarding the incident at the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, where 20 of our heroic comrades were martyred, the grave and unfounded statements, even misrepresenting the number of martyrs, are the product of a malicious approach.
The technical examination initiated immediately regarding our downed C-130 aircraft is being conducted in all its dimensions and with great care.
The final report to be prepared will be shared transparently with the public after the relevant processes are completed. A criminal complaint has been filed regarding the issue, and legal proceedings have been initiated.
It is of great importance that baseless claims and accusations not based on concrete evidence regarding issues concerning our national security, as well as speculative and manipulative statements and comments, are not taken into account, and that official statements to be made are considered.
TURKEY'S SECURITY UNDERSTANDING TOWARDS THE BLACK SEA AND NATO HEADQUARTERS
The Ministry of National Defense responded to the question regarding Turkey's security understanding towards the Black Sea and NATO Headquarters as follows:
Recently, it has been understood that some media outlets and social media platforms have made evaluations based on incomplete information regarding our country's contributions to NATO, the Ukraine Volunteers Coalition, and activities conducted in the Black Sea, and that some concepts have been confused.
First and foremost, our Ministry is based on the principle of providing the public with accurate and timely information; in this context, a press briefing is held regularly every week, and the questions of the press members are answered. The work carried out on defense and security issues is conducted in coordination with the relevant authorities, and after the process is completed, the necessary information is shared transparently with the public in a manner that does not compromise our national security.
In this context, the information regarding Turkey's fundamental strategy towards the Black Sea and the NATO and non-NATO multinational Naval Headquarters established by taking the initiative within this strategy, as well as the Multinational Corps Headquarters currently being established in Adana, is as follows:
TURKEY'S FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGY TOWARDS THE BLACK SEA
In response to the question about Turkey's fundamental strategy towards the Black Sea, the MSB stated, "There is no question of compromising the principle of regional ownership and the Montreux Convention. All work is carried out accordingly. Turkey's security understanding towards the Black Sea is based on the preservation of the balance and stability provided by the Montreux Straits Convention and the primary role of the coastal countries in line with the principle of regional ownership. Thanks to this approach, the Black Sea has not turned into a large-scale conflict area, as it did in the past. Turkey has prevented the expansion of the conflict into the maritime dimension by resolutely implementing the provisions of Montreux during the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite the increasing geopolitical competition and security risks in the Black Sea, our country maintains its stance on preserving stability in the region, preventing escalation of tensions, and ensuring security primarily by the coastal countries. In this regard, Turkey continues to take initiatives to prevent the Black Sea from becoming an area of competition and plays an active role in maintaining the regional security architecture," it replied.
UKRAINE VOLUNTEERS COALITION NAVAL ELEMENT COMMAND
In response to the question regarding the "Ukraine Volunteers Coalition Naval Element Command," the MSB stated:
In the event of a negotiated end to the Russia-Ukraine War, planning is being carried out for security arrangements, and currently, 33 countries have expressed their willingness to participate in the "Ukraine Volunteers Coalition," which is a multinational initiative not related to NATO.
It is planned that the Multinational Ukrainian Force (MNF-U) established within this initiative will be managed through an operational headquarters formed with core personnel in France (Paris).
The mission of this Naval Element Command (MCC) will be carried out by our country to maintain security and stability, uphold the principle of regional ownership, and preserve the balance established by the Montreux Straits Convention.
In this regard, at the meeting held in Ankara on April 15-16, 2025, it was agreed that Turkey would continue to lead the planning activities in the maritime dimension and that the legal framework established by the Montreux Straits Convention would be taken as a basis in the planning.
The Naval Element Command Headquarters will be formed with a core staff consisting entirely of Turkish personnel starting from August 25, 2025. Fourteen countries have declared their contributions to the Naval Element Command, but contributions to naval platforms will only be provided by the coastal countries, namely Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria.
MINE COUNTERMEASURES IN THE BLACK SEA
This is an initiative led by Turkey, created by Romania and Bulgaria, which is outside the NATO force structure. The task force in question was established with the memorandum signed on January 11, 2024, and the first activation was announced on July 1, 2024.
The primary mission of this structure is to conduct mine search operations in the Black Sea and contribute to the security of critical underwater infrastructures; it operates with the national mine search vessels of the participating countries; the command and headquarters duties are carried out on a rotational basis among the three countries every six months. Currently, the task force is conducting the 9th activation period, commanded by our country.
NATO HEADQUARTERS
In response to the question regarding NATO Headquarters, the MSB stated:
"Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, has the second largest army in the Alliance and undertakes significant duties and responsibilities within NATO's command and force structure.
In accordance with NATO's Defense and Deterrence Concept, changes have been made since 2020 in planning and command control systems to deter threats and facilitate the transition to defense, and to strengthen defense against an attack that would be carried out against NATO territory.
Strategic and regional plans have been prepared, and it is foreseen to establish the headquarters that will implement these plans.
In this context, activities have begun to establish the Multinational Corps Headquarters-Turkey (MNC-TUR) in 2023 and the Combined Task Force (CTF) Black Sea in 2024.
MULTINATIONAL CORPS HEADQUARTERS
In response to questions regarding the Multinational Corps Headquarters, the Ministry of National Defense stated the following:
"In NATO plans, it is envisaged that the defense of our country will be coordinated with NATO forces by a regional Turkish Corps Headquarters, and the command and control of the forces to be assigned when necessary will be carried out.
The transformation of the mentioned headquarters into a multinational structure has been deemed appropriate by national authorities, and the establishment of MNC-TUR has been reported to NATO authorities in 2024. The establishment activities of the headquarters are ongoing, and only core personnel assignments have been made, and the multinational headquarters status has not yet been approved."
"ONLY TURKISH PERSONNEL ARE CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO BOTH HEADQUARTERS"
"In order to implement plans in the naval operational area, it is planned to establish five Combined Task Forces (CTF) in 2024 (Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, and Black Sea). The command and hosting of the CTF-Black headquarters to be established in the Black Sea has been undertaken by our country until 2028 in accordance with our principle of regional ownership. After 2028, the country that will host and command the mentioned headquarters will be determined based on proposals from Black Sea coastal allies (Romania and Bulgaria). The establishment activities of the headquarters are ongoing, and only core personnel assignments have been made. Currently, only Turkish personnel are assigned to both headquarters.
The three naval and one land headquarters, whose information we have shared, are being established in line with our country's security needs and our political stance towards the Black Sea. Turkey plays an active role in the NATO decision-making mechanism.
With this role, Turkey is going beyond being a country that has previously allocated forces to NATO, actively participating in decision-making and guiding processes, and shaping the established structures in line with its own security priorities.