Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sharply criticized a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea as a dangerous escalation, warning that the war between Russia and Ukraine now directly threatens maritime safety. Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan specifically addressed recent explosions near Turkey's coast that damaged two oil tankers, the Virat and the Kairos, late last week. “We cannot under any circumstances accept these attacks, which threaten the safety of navigation, the environment and lives in our exclusive economic zone,” Erdogan said. He emphasized that the conflict “has clearly reached a stage where it threatens the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.” Turkey, which has maintained diplomatic ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, says it is closely monitoring the situation. Erdogan stated that Turkey is prepared to assist diplomatic efforts to end the conflict whenever an opportunity arises. The comments come as international pressure mounts on Ukraine, both militarily and politically, and as U.S.-led negotiations to find a resolution to the war intensify.