NATO members United States and France are seeking to expand their military presence in the Black Sea, but Turkey does not intend to abandon the restrictions set by the Montreux Convention, sources say, pro-Turkish-government Yeni Safak newspaper reported on Tuesday.

“At the same time, Ankara supports steps to strengthen the security of Bulgaria and Romania, but is against the emergence of additional naval forces of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea,” the newspaper adds.

It stresses that Turkey adheres to the principle that the security of the Black Sea should be ensured primarily by its coastal states.

“The US and France have been trying to expand their presence in the region for a long time, but Ankara opposes these plans and is guided by the Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage of warships through the Turkish straits,” the daily writes.

As the newspaper notes, with the deepening conflict over Ukraine and the growing threat to commercial shipping, the issue of military presence in the Black Sea will again be on the agenda.

After the start of hostilities in Ukraine, Turkey invoked the provisions of the Montreux Convention and closed its straits to warships. The country’s defense ministry has repeatedly stated that the application of the convention has contributed to maintaining stability in the region.