Turkey proposes Russia-Ukraine deal to end Black Sea shipping attacks: diplomatic source

Turkey has sent a proposal to Russia and Ukraine that would end attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, a Turkish diplomat told AFP on Thursday.

The move follows a sharp uptick in attacks in the Black Sea, which has seen at least 25 Turkish-owned vessels hit since late June, industry figures show.

"We have shared a text of a memorandum, a draft text, with the Russians and the Ukrainians to come up with a solution to those strikes taking place in the Black Sea," the diplomat said.

He said the proposal was "inspired by" the grain corridor mechanism -- a 2022 deal brokered by Turkey and the UN to grant safe passage for Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea without risk of attack.

Although Russia pulled out a year later, Ukraine set up an alternative path via a shipping route that hugs the coast of Romania and Bulgaria.

"In that mechanism, there is maybe a four- or five-mile gap where the Ukrainian ship has to leave the national territorial waters and travel in international waters, which is the risky part," he explained.

"So our offer is also inspired by this."