Italo-Turkish Relations and the Montreux Convention of 1936

Abstract

At the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Turkey invoked the Montreux Convention of 1936, closing the Turkish Straits to passage of any belligerent warship not based in the Black Sea. This move effectively isolated Russia’s Mediterranean Sea Task Force from the main theater of operations while confining it to the eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 further weakened the Russian navy by resulting in the closure of the Tartus naval base, forcing the squadron to operate from inferior bases in Libya. Beginning with the closure of the Straits, the strategic balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean shifted decisively in favor of NATO, particularly the Italian (Marina Militare) and the Turkish navies. Despite their long history of mistrust, competition, and occasional conflict, particularly in the interwar period, positive Italo-Turkish relations have proven a historic point of Italian maritime strategy. This paper analyzes how external pressures have transformed these two sometime rivals into strategic partners by examining Italy\u27s participation in the Montreux Contention, suggesting that the current Italo-Turkish alignment in the Mediterranean is likely to endure as long as the Russian threat persists