Despite tensions, Russia's 'Syria Express' sails by Istanbul

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It's an occasional but regular sighting in Istanbul. Out of the mist on the Bosphorus that divides Europe and Asia looms the hulk of a Russian warship purposefully making its way to the Mediterranean.

Most likely the ship is part of Moscow's so-called "Syria Express", a key supply line for naval deliveries from its Black Sea ports to military operations backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Dozens of Russian warships, auxiliary naval cargo ships and sometimes even submarines have passed through the Bosphorus Strait, northbound and southbound. Every month since Russia stepped up operations inside Syria last year, according to maritime experts.

But the sight of a Russian warship in Istanbul is striking given that Moscow and Ankara are experiencing their worst relations since the end of the Cold War after the shooting down of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets on the Syrian border on November 24.

The two countries back opposing sides in Syria's almost five-year civil war, with Russia the key supporter of the Damascus regime while Turkey argues that the ouster of Assad is essential to solving the Syrian crisis.

Analysts say that Turkey is bound by the 1936 Montreux Convention on the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, a treaty that gives Ankara full control over the two Straits while committing it to allowing the free passage of naval traffic from Black Sea littoral states.

Under its terms, Turkey can only block Russian naval shipping if war is declared or if it feels under an imminent threat of war.

http://news.yahoo.com/despite-tensions- ... 48157.html

I love the way that you described this political situation but am wondering what kind of reply post you are expecting.

Its called posting news about the tensions between Turkey and Russia and the current Syrian conflict. There is a civil war in Syria and Russia is supplying Assad with weapons. Turkey wants Assad out of the way but Turkey cannot close off the Dardanelles from Russia. The only way the Turks can close off the Dardanelles is a declaration of war. For the meantime, traffic through the Dardanelles must be remained open.

So, things are the same as they have been for the last 75 years?

Blocking passage would be an act of war?

What were things like before those seventy five years inventor?

I doubt that Russia did this sort of thing during any time in the last 75 years because they didnt project power by sea that way until now in the Syrian Civil War.

Traditionally Russia has ended up with three seperate navies unable to function as one navy because of geography: a Baltic Fleet, a Black Sea Fleet, and a Pacific fleet.

Under the Czars Russia was actually forbidden by treaty with the Ottoman Turks to sail naval units through the Bosporus into the Meditteranean. So its Black Sea fleet was confined to the Black Sea.

During the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 the Japanese had pretty much destroyed Russia's Pacific Fleet based in Chinese ports ruled by Russia, but seized by Japan. So the Czar sent the Baltic fleet on one long voyage:around Europe, around Africa, across the length of the Indian Ocean, and then up the Asian shore of the Pacific to attack the Japanese. And then the Baltic Fleet also got slaughtered by the Japanese -in the Battle of Tsushima- (it was kinda like the Spanish Armada in the age of steam). Russia couldnt use its Black Sea Fleet because of the treaty with Turkey.

During the First World War Turkey was allied to the Germans and wouldnt allow Britain and France to put ships through the Bosporus to supply or support Russia against the Germans. So the allies launched the failed huge amphibious attack on Turkey to seize Gallipoli- so the Allies could seize control of the Bosporus in order send ships the opposite way into the Black Sea.

Putin's current campain of propping up Assad in Syria is the first time that Russia has put boots on the ground in the Middle East. And they support their new war machine in Syria with "sea lift" from southern Russia via the Black sea and the Bosporus. So Turkey hasnt seen this kinda Russian naval traffic before, and its traffic in support of something Turkey doesnt like on Turkey's border. Hense the maritime xenophobia. But Turkey cant do much about it. That old treaty between the Czars and the Sultans I guess doesnt apply anymore! Both the Czars, and the Ottoman Sultans were overthrown long ago.But I'm sure that Turkey wishes that treaty still applied today.

At the end of the first world war when Turkey was being carved up, everything west of the Bosporus was to be ceded to Russia. This was to prevent the blockade of WWI. Constantinople returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Communist Revolution happened a year before the transfer, which cancelled it.

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention