ISTANBUL, Kyiv — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned that the Black Sea should not turn into an "area of confrontation" between Russia and Ukraine, after several strikes in recent weeks.

 

"The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation. This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea," he was quoted as telling reporters aboard his plane, according to the official Anadolu news agency.

 

A Russian air strike damaged a Turkish-owned vessel in a port in Ukraine's Black Sea region of Odesa, Kyiv and the operator said on Friday.

 

The attack came hours after Erdogan had raised the issue personally with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan.

 

Erdogan had called for a "limited ceasefire" concerning attacks on ports and energy facilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, during the face-to-face talks with Putin, according to his office.

 

On the plane, Erdogan said he mainly discussed the war and peace efforts with Putin, Anadolu reported.

 

"Like all other actors, Mr Putin knows very well where Turkey stands on this issue," he said.

 

"After this meeting we held with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to also discuss the peace plan with US President [Donald] Trump," he added.

 

"Peace is not far away, we can see it."

 

Turkey, which has sought to maintain relations with Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, controls the Bosphorus Strait, a key passage for transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian oil towards the Mediterranean.

 

Over the past weeks, several attacks also targeted Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea, some of which were drone attacks claimed by Kyiv.

 

The attacks sparked harsh criticism from Ankara, which summoned envoys from both Russia and Ukraine.

 

A Russian air strike damaged a Turkish-owned vessel in a port in Ukraine's Black Sea region of Odesa, Kyiv and the operator said in statements Friday.

 

The attack triggered fresh calls from Ankara to halt strikes on port infrastructure, hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had raised the issue personally with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

 

"Russia launched a missile strike on civilian port infrastructure in the Odesa region," Ukraine's Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram, adding that a Turkish ferry had been damaged and there were no casualties.

 

Turkish maritime company Cenk Shipping said in a statement that its vessel "loaded entirely with fresh fruits, vegetables and food supplies on the Karasu-Odesa route, was subjected to an air attack today at 16:00 local time, shortly after docking at the Chornomorsk port."

 

Images on social media showed the blue-and-white vessel on fire.

 

The ship is a 185-metre-long ferry that sailed under the Panama flag, according to an information document on the firm's website.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Friday that "a civilian vessel in the port of Chornomorsk was damaged," without identifying the ship.

 

"This once again proves that the Russians not only refuse to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but are also continuing the war aimed precisely at destroying normal life in Ukraine," he said on social media.

 

The attack came as Turkey in the past weeks warned of a "worrying escalation" in the Black Sea after Ukraine claimed naval drone attacks on Russia-linked tankers in the area.

 

Erdogan had called for a "limited ceasefire" concerning attacks on ports and energy facilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, during face-to-face talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday.

 

After the strike, Turkey's foreign ministry said: "We once again emphasise the importance of urgently ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and we reiterate the need for an arrangement to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, including ensuring maritime safety and suspending attacks targeting energy and port infrastructure."