British authorities are taking steps that, according to Turkish political analyst and journalist Ibrahim Karagül, appear designed to push Turkey and Russia toward a direct confrontation in the Black Sea.

His assessment follows reports from Turkey’s maritime authority about an attack on a Russian tanker carrying sunflower oil in the Black Sea. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that any threat to navigation within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone is unacceptable, after which Ankara delivered firm messages to Ukrainian security services regarding the incident.

Karagül argues that Western countries are attempting to shift their standoff with Moscow onto Ankara. He suggests that the situation is being shaped in a way that makes the strikes seem as if they come «on behalf of Ukraine and Russia»? creating the risk of drawing both states into direct conflict. According to RIA Novosti, he believes that Europe-particularly Britain-is already moving in this direction.

He points to a series of attacks on vessels in the Black Sea as reinforcing his concerns. In his view, Ukraine has effectively been pushed into confrontation with Russia and has become a casualty of the broader conflict. Karagül warns that if Ukraine loses, Poland and other Eastern European countries could be pulled in next, potentially stretching the confrontation from the northern regions to the Aegean Sea.

Earlier, Turkey’s foreign ministry expressed serious concern over Ukrainian strikes on foreign ships in the Black Sea, stressing that such actions endanger lives, disrupt navigation, and threaten the environment. Ankara is holding talks with involved parties to prevent the conflict from widening across the Black Sea basin and to safeguard its economic interests.