Controversial Russian warship returns to Bosphorus

ISTANBUL

Cihan Photo

A Russian warship which sparked controversy over its “provocative” passing through Istanbul’s Bosphorus returned to the strait eight days later, this time with no soldiers holding missiles.

The Russian warship, named the Caesar Kunikov, passed through the Bosphorus on Dec. 14 after arriving from the Mediterranean Sea and passing through the Dardanelles Strait on Dec. 13.

Some soldiers on board were seen holding cameras and shooting video, rather than holding arms as seen in its previous passing.

Two Turkish warships also passed through Bosphorus half an hour after the Caesar Kunikov’s passing.

The Caesar Kunikov’s passing through the Bosphorus en route to the Mediterranean on Dec. 6 had drawn angry reaction, as one soldier on board was seen holding a ground-to-air missile.

“This is provocation. This is a harassing passage,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had said.