Turkiye will use its authority over the Turkish Straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention to prevent the Russia-Ukraine “crisis” from further escalating, said the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday.

Under the convention, Turkiye can stop foreign warships from going through the Turkish Straits during a war.

“Turkiye has strictly fulfilled its responsibilities within the framework of the institutions and alliances with which it is involved, especially the UN, NATO, and the EU,” added Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after chairing a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara where he praised the struggle of Ukraine’s government and people.

He called Russia’s attack on Ukraine unacceptable.

Erdoğan also highlighted dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, saying: “It’s never too late to engage in good faith negotiations and progress on all issues peacefully.”

Since Russia’s war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met with outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.