Key keywords: Turkey, Black Sea oil tanker attack, Russia-departed oil tanker, Black Sea maritime security, international energy shipping, naval drone strike, Turkish territorial waters, civilian vessel protection On August 13, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey issued an official statement strongly condemning the recent drone attack on a Russia-flagged oil tanker that departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk earlier the same week. The tanker, which was carrying approximately 100,000 tons of crude oil destined for a refinery on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, was struck by a Ukrainian naval drone approximately 27 kilometers off the coast of Turkey’s Kilyos district, in an area that falls within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone near its territorial waters. Turkish authorities confirmed that the attack caused minor damage to the tanker’s hull, but no casualties were reported among the 19 Russian crew members on board. The Turkish Coast Guard immediately dispatched rescue and patrol vessels to the site after receiving distress signals, and escorted the damaged tanker to a safe anchorage near Istanbul for emergency repairs and further investigation. In its official statement, the Turkish foreign ministry noted that attacks on civilian commercial vessels operating in international waters are a clear violation of international maritime law, and pose a direct threat to the safety of civilian crew members, the security of Black Sea shipping routes, and the stability of global energy markets. The statement also emphasized that Turkey, as a key littoral state of the Black Sea, has a core national interest in maintaining unimpeded and safe navigation in the region, and will take all necessary measures to protect its territorial integrity and the safety of its coastal communities. The attack comes nearly three weeks after Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a UN-brokered deal that allowed safe passage of agricultural and food products from Ukrainian ports. Following the collapse of the deal, Ukrainian officials issued a warning that all cargo vessels traveling to or from Russian ports in the Black Sea would be considered potential military targets, a move that has been widely criticized by international shipping groups and humanitarian organizations. Turkey, which has acted as a key mediator between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the conflict, has repeatedly called on both sides to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels, and to return to negotiations to restore safe shipping in the Black Sea. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also echoed Turkey’s condemnation, issuing a separate statement calling on all parties to respect the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and prioritize the protection of civilian seafarers and commercial shipping assets.