Bryza denies us requested passage of ships through Turkish straits

Matt Bryza, US deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, yesterday said the US had made no official request that Turkey allow the passage of US ships through the Turkish Straits to bring aid to Georgia. The US is rather consulting with Turkey about bringing US Navy hospital ships through the Straits, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, to join in aid efforts for Georgia under the Montreux Convention, Bryza said.