Turkey's Permanent Mission to the United Nations responded to Greece's objection to the term 'Turkish Straits' in a letter sent to the UN Secretary-General and the Presidency of the Security Council on May 8, 2026. Ankara argued that this term is fully compliant with the Montreux Straits Convention.
Greece had requested at the UN Security Council session held on April 29, 2026, that only the term 'Straits' be used in accordance with the terminology of the Montreux Convention. Greek representative Ioannis Stamatikos stated that the term 'Turkish Straits' was not consistent with the convention's terminology.
In its letter, Turkey emphasized that the Montreux Convention regulates the regime of passage through the Istanbul Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait but does not aim to standardize geographical names. It also stated that the term 'Turkish Straits' is an established and geographically accurate designation in international texts.
Ankara expressed that this term will continue to be used based on Turkey's sovereignty and jurisdiction. Turkey called on Greece and other UN member states to recognize the established and legitimate use of the term 'Turkish Straits.'
No official agreement has yet been reached on this matter. The progress of the process and possible new statements from the parties will be followed. The letter also highlighted the important point that Turkey has diligently applied the Montreux Convention for nearly 90 years.