Black Sea Naval Force

The Black Sea Naval Force (also known as BLACKSEAFOR or the Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group) is a Black Sea naval cooperation program established in 2001 on the initiative of Turkey with the participation of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.{{cite web|title=Ukraine's attempts to exclude Russia from BlackSeaFor fail — military source|url=http://tass.com/russia/741296|website=TASS|accessdate=12 December 2016}}{{cite news|title=Black sea countries to sign Blackseafor agreement Monday|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/black-sea-countries-to-sign-blackseafor-agreement-monday.aspx?pageID=438&n=black-sea-countries-to-sign-blackseafor-agreement-monday-2001-03-28|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=28 March 2001|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220115301/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/black-sea-countries-to-sign-blackseafor-agreement-monday.aspx?pageID=438&n=black-sea-countries-to-sign-blackseafor-agreement-monday-2001-03-28|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=dead}}

History

The original purpose of BLACKSEAFOR was "to cooperatively promote security and stability in the Black Sea maritime area and beyond, strengthen friendship and good neighborly relations among the regional States, and increase interoperability among those states' naval forces".{{cite book|last1=Özdal|first1=Habibe|title=Turkey-Ukraine Relations: High Potential, Low Voltage|date=1 December 2011|publisher=International Strategic Research Organization (USAK)|page=34|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N1O8AgAAQBAJ}}

The BLACKSEAFOR has conducted several joint naval drills since its formation, however it has been suspended several times.{{cite web|last1=Sanchez|first1=W. Alejandro|title=Did BLACKSEAFOR Ever Have a Chance?|url=http://www.e-ir.info/2012/11/18/did-blackseafor-ever-have-a-chance/|publisher=E-International Relations|date=18 November 2012}} The 2008 Russo-Georgian war lead Georgia to suspend its involvement in BLACKSEAFOR drills and Russia to refuse to take part in drills involving Georgia.{{cite news|title=Russian Warship Arrives in Bulgarian Black Sea for Naval Drills|url=http://www.novinite.com/articles/106575/Russian+Warship+Arrives+in+Bulgarian+Black+Sea+Arrives|work=Novinite|date=6 August 2009}} The partnership was effectively suspended in 2014 following the Russian annexation of Crimea and War in Donbas.{{cite news|last1=Kucera|first1=Joshua|title=Black Sea Naval Cooperation Another Casualty Of Ukraine War|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/69161|work=EurasiaNet|date=23 July 2014}} In 2015, after a Russian plane was shot down by Turkish forces, Russia suspended its BLACKSEAFOR membership.{{cite web|title=Russia suspends participation in BLACKSEAFOR drills after Turkey's downing of Russian jet|url=http://tass.com/defense/839869|website=TASS|accessdate=12 December 2016|date=27 November 2015}}