black sea

status of the Straits. Initial views were completely
contradictory. Soviet Union wished to close the
Straits for its own security, although the Treaty of
Moscow (16 March 1921) had already recognised
the Turkish sovereignty under the condition of
free navigation of merchant ships. Britain wanted
the opposite, i.e. to remain open so as their fleet
could sail through Euxeinos. Finally, the British
proposals prevailed with certain restrictions. The
principle of freedom of transit and navigation by
sea and air, at Hellespont, Propontis and Bosporus
was recognised under certain conditions. 13
To secure a satisfactory operation of the status
of the Straits, the Treaty demilitarized the regions
around Bosporus and Hellespont including
the islands at the entrance of the Straits - Imbros,
Tenedos, Mavries, Lemnos and Samothrace. 14 An
international Commission was also formed under
the supervision of the League of Nations with representatives
from England, France, Italy, Japan,
Greece, Bulgaria, Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Russia
and Romania headed by Turkey. Demilitarization
regime didn’t really affect Greece as it referred
only to two Greek islands, Lemnos and
Samothrace, as opposed to Turkey. Apart from this,
Turkey did not like the Lausanne status of the
Straits for various reasons. It tried to undermine
with all means, transit ships and created serious
problems by abusing its rights and blocking free
navigation of the Straits. 15 It was anxious to find
the right moment to replace it and managed to
supersede it in 1936 with the Montreux Convention.
The Turkish Government invoking rebus sic
stantibus (total change of circumstances) considered
that the Treaty of Lausanne was out-of-date
and called the High Contracting Parties to review
it. 16 International conjunctions assisted this success
as Turkey joined the League of Nations in
1932, Germany denounced the military provisions
of the Treaty of Versailles, Italy was absent from
the Conference of Montreux due to its attack to
Ethiopia, Soviet Union supported with its great
power Turkey and England tried to win Turkey
over so as to have it as an ally in case of war in the
Mediterranean.
According to the provisions of the Montreux
Convention of 1936 the Sea of Marmara and the
Bosporus enjoy complete freedom of transit and
navigation. The Convention has 29 articles, 4 an-
����� Review of Military History �����
nexes and one protocol, 17 and represents the triumph
of the Turkish and Soviet interests. After
the abolishment of demilitarisation, Turkey regained
its sovereignty right, as well as the military
control of the Straits. The Soviet Union secured
its naval domination in the Black Sea. Greece also
profited as the demilitarisation regime for the islands
of Limnos and Samothrace was abolished. 18
The restrictions of the new status are registered
in Articles 10, 14 and from 18 to 21. 19 Only the light
surface war vessels and auxiliary ones belonging
to Black Sea or non-Black Sea Powers enjoy freedom
to transit through the Straits. The classification
of ships was based to the existing at the time
criteria, mainly in order to block the transit of
“pocket” battleships. Present ships are not so big,
machine guns have smaller calibres and other
weapons are more effective but completely unknown
when the Convention was drafted, and consequently
the above mentioned restriction has lost
its meaning. The rest restrictions though remain
of great importance, especially those referring to
the tonnage and the duration of stay in the Black
Sea. The forces transiting the Straits should not
comprise more than nine vessels and exceed
15,000 tons, while the total aggregate tonnage of
the vessels of war belonging to non-Black Sea Powers
should not exceed 30,000 tons and exceptionally
45,000 tons. No vessels of war can remain in
the Black Sea more than 21 days.
The Montreux Convention imposes restrictions
to the Black Sea States too, regarding their
exit the Aegean through the Straits. Battleships
and cruisers of any size can individually pass
through the Straits, escorted only by two destroyers.
20 Their submarines constructed or purchased
outside the Black Sea, can enter the Black Sea to
reach their bases on condition that a prompt notice
is submitted to Turkey. Submarines that are to
be repaired in dockyards outside the Black Sea
must follow the same procedure and give detailed
information to Turkey. In any case, these submarines
have to travel by day on the surface and
must pass through the Straits singly. 21
The Montreux Convention was implemented
successfully until the beginning of World War II
and during the period that Turkey seemed to be
neutral. In March 1945, the Soviet Union annulled
the Moscow Treaty signed with Turkey in 1925,
65