Despite Outbreak of Anti-Ukrainian Sentiments in Turkey, Coast Guard Actions Upheld

The very next day after the Ukrainian coast guard boats used weapons for the first time against Turkish poaching schooners on March 22, as a result of which one of them sank, one fisherman was killed and another wounded, the Turkish media became hysterical. Television ran pictures of the Turkish vessel going under, newspapers were studded with furious and abusive headlines. Our diplomats in Turkey reported that the Turks would phone in accusing Ukraine of committing a terrorist act. Our newspaper did not stand aside from the Turkish problem, either. For example, e-mail brought in the following letter:

“To the new murderers of Europe:

“Now it is clear you are the same bloody murderers as you former masters, the Russian Federation. You must be very proud of your military when they kill innocent people (fishermen). This is the only thing you are capable of. I am sending you this letter because I don’t know how to get in touch with your ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of killing innocent people. Yours appeared to be the first newspaper I could find, browsing through the Internet.

“YOU DO NOT BELONG TO MODERN WORLD. YOU STILL LIVE IN THE 60s.

“This letter may seem strange to you, but it is not easy to write to the murderers.

That there were unofficial threats from the Turkish side to “occupy Ukraine’s territorial waters” was revealed at a press conference held the week before last in Kyiv by representatives of Ukraine’s Border Security Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In particular, first deputy chairman of the State Border Security Committee, chief of the Main Staff of the Border Security Force of Ukraine, Colonel General Pavlo Shysholin, said, “This kind of information is available.”

In addition, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oleksandr Maidannyk, added that the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey was still receiving phone calls “with emotional expressions.” The opposition Free Path Party sent a letter to the embassy, saying that the Turks “will leave no stone unturned” and even “provide military protection to their fishermen who are in a hard economic situation.”

Mr. Maidannyk reported that the chief of Turkey’s coast guard department had already admitted, “The Turkish side has to shoulder much blame for what happened. The point is the low level of our culture or, to be more exact, of Turkish fishing.” The Turkish representative also said that the coast guard department and the management of Turkish fishing businesses had repeatedly cautioned fishermen and vessel owners against poaching in the exclusive zones of Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania. During a mid- March meeting, fishing managers were given new maps indicating the exclusive zones of Black Sea states and were told, “There is no reason why Turkish fisherman should fish there.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister expressed hope that the incident would not entail long- term negative consequences for Ukrainian-Turkish relations. “We are prepared to continue cooperation and the fulfillment of the relations existing between us,” he said. The Turkish side has been offered to hold a series of consultations about the joint utilization of Black Sea resources and to conclude a bilateral agreement on fishing, as well as sign a special convention on fisheries and preservation of Black Sea resources. Mr. Maidannyk thinks it possible that in the future the Turkish side may be granted quotas for fishing in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone. The Ukrainian budget could thus earn $3-4 million.

At the same time, Colonel General Shysholin said, “The ship captains in fact jeopardized their men’s lives, so let them now answer to the crews and the family of the man who died.” The Ukrainian coast guardsmen “tried to the last minute to stop the schooners by various means, without resorting to shoot-to-kill action.” But the three-hour sea chase, signals to stop, warning shots, and then attempts by the Turkish schooners to ram the Ukrainian vessels, finally put the life of the Ukrainian border guards in jeopardy.

Gen. Shysholin also said they had lately traced repeated instances of illegal fishing by 130 Turkish schooners in Ukraine’s exclusive maritime economic zone. Big money is one of the motives that push the Turks into the Ukrainian zone. One kilogram of turbot goes at $7 to 12 on Turkish markets. No wonder that, according to Gen. Shysholin, the Turks act “brazenly.” And while earlier they used to come to the Ukrainian shores “on a selective basis” and for a short time, now they come in small groups accompanied by guard and reconnaissance vessels and the ships that cover their flight can even easily be sacrificed.

Colonel General Shysholin also expressed hope that “the operation we conducted will cool the heads of those who think Ukraine will not defend its interests,” also noting that not a single Turkish vessel has been detected in Ukraine’s economic zones since then.

FROM THE DAY’S FILES

In accordance with the Regulations on the Protection of Ukraine’s Sovereign Rights its Exclusive (Maritime) Economic Zone, border security troops have the right to use weapons in the exclusive (maritime) economic zone in order to apprehend a vessel if the latter fails to obey the command to stop and tries to escape, after other means to stop it have been exhausted. In this case, weapons are to be used without warning. According to senior officer at the Ukrainian Border Security Force press service, Serhiy Astakhov, international maritime law says that any vessel, when in the exclusive (maritime) economic zone of a state, is obliged to obey the instructions of that government’s ships.

“If captains do not obey and do not react to orders to stop, this entails sanctions under that country’s domestic law. For example, the Americans, unlike we, act tough. They would never give a lengthy and boring chase to the intruders and would not squander so much fuel and ammunition,” he said.