Türkiye remains unwaveringly committed to the provisions of the 1936 Montreux Convention that regulates the passage of ships through the Turkish Straits, its top diplomat said Tuesday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel in Sofia, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "We will continue to implement the Montreux Convention to the letter," adding that discussing this issue is out of the question.

"Preserving calm in the Black Sea and preventing initiatives that could endanger it is among our fundamental priorities as the implementer of the Montreux Convention," Fidan added.

Expressing satisfaction with the agreement between Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania to establish a Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea), Fidan highlighted this as an example of regional security cooperation.

He underscored that Türkiye views this initiative not only as a demonstration of regional ownership but also as a step in line with the spirit of alliance.

The task group formed by Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania, which will have a rotating command structure, will likely start operating by May, according to the Bulgarian Defense Ministry earlier this month.

The Russian navy mined Ukraine's Black Sea coastline in the early stages of the conflict nearly two years ago. Some of the mines have since drifted into the waters of the three countries, endangering shipping and complicating Ukraine's efforts to break through a Russian naval blockade.

"As NATO allies that have shores to the Black Sea, regional security and stability are vital. We attach great importance to the war in Ukraine not leading to an escalation in the Black Sea," Fidan noted.

Touting Bulgaria's "common-sense policies that prioritize security and stability," which are "needed in the region more than ever," Fidan revealed he and Gabriel discussed bilateral ties in all aspects and efforts to advance cooperation.

Sofia and Ankara will hold the next high-level strategic cooperation council meeting during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Bulgaria, which is planned for some time this year, according to Fidan.

"At a time when Türkiye and Bulgaria are facing challenges such as terrorism and irregular migration, we have mutually demonstrated our will to increase our cooperation in these areas," he added.

He also emphasized the welfare and peace of Bulgaria's Turkish and Muslim population as "another important dimension of bilateral relations and thanked the Bulgarian government for their work on this issue."

On trade ties, Fidan said Türkiye was "very satisfied with the positive course of economic cooperation."

"Our bilateral trade volume exceeded $7 billion (TL 212.5 billion). We aim to reach the $10 billion target as soon as possible," he noted.

Many Turkish companies invest in Bulgaria and route their land exports through the country. The sides are working to facilitate truck border crossings, Fidan informed.

The Turkish-Bulgarian border is a hot spot for droves of irregular migrants that look to cross into Europe every year. The neighbors have tightened border control to combat illegal crossings with additional checks.