A ship spotter in Istanbul says Russia's possible war in Ukraine would be reflected in fewer ships going south through the Bosphorus, Al Jazeera reports.
"Every day, I follow any military ships going to Ukraine, to see who is sending what message," geopolitical analyst and ship spotter, Yoruk Isik said.
According to the report, Istanbul ship-spotter, at the age of 50, monitors moves for war.
"When you are living your life in Istanbul, there is a sub-layer of these events and ship wars happening literally right next to you and most of these Istanbul residents, in their busy day, are not so aware of it."
The report says military ships do not always turn their transmitters on, so Isik has to get creative: checking public webcams installed along coasts, or Instagram or other visual social media posts that often coincidentally include warships crossing in the background.
Reportedly, in 2021, for instance, ship-spotters noted 50 Russian warships going south to the Mediterranean and 43 north to the Black Sea. Thirteen US warships went to the Black Sea, while 12 left it for the Mediterranean.
Despite its geopolitical position, Turkey has two reasons to not interfere in a war over Ukraine. Millions of Russian tourists visit Turkey each year, and most of Turkey's natural gas is imported from Russia, the report added.
