Legal uncertainties for navigation through the Turkish Straits

The legal regime of the Turkish Straits is considered in the article. The Montreux Convention Re- garding the Regime of the Straits signed in 1936 established the sovereignty of the Republic of Tur- key over the Straits and a set of rules for navigation through them. This notwithstanding, there is a number of legal uncertainties left unsettled. The uncertainties could hinder free access to the Black and Azov Sea while a lot of frozen armed conflicts and disputed territoriesgather round the Seas. The Straits are of great importance for the Caspian Sea countries and regions since they have access to them through the Volga, Don and Volga-Don Canal. For the last two decades Turkey has introduced many new rules for navigation there because of the abovementioned uncertainties that has essentially modified the legal regime of the Straits. The Tur- kish interpretationsof and additions to the Montreux Convention in the form of new legal acts, re- gulationsand instructions are evidently aimed at the accretion of Turkish national power over the Straits. This trend could raise problems for freedom of navigation as a key principle for international law of the sea. In addition, the Turkish authorities promote the project of ‘Canal Istanbul’as a sea route alternative to the Bosporus.Obviously, the restrictions of the Montreux Convention would not be applicable for a new canal. The second canal alternative to the Dardanelles could completely ruin the conventional legal regime. The rules of U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea would not be also applicable since Turkey is not a member of the Convention. If the new canals are built, the strictest common law of the sea must be applied for navigation through them. The Montreux Convention has to be modified, taking into account the interests of all regional and extra-regional stakeholders.