Ziyi Wang

Research and teaching fellow at the Hoover Institution and diplomatic historian of post-Napoleonic Europe whose work applies 19th-century European diplomacy to contemporary geopolitical issues, including maritime chokepoints, collective security, and the Turkish Straits.

The Turkish Straits Stay Open Through Rules, Turkey, and Allied Vigilance

Hoover Institution researcher Ziyi Wang argues that the Turkish Straits’ relative stability during the Russo-Ukrainian war shows how maritime chokepoints can remain open when enforceable rules, capable regional authorities, and allied vigilance align. The 1936 Montreux Convention has allowed Turkey to limit wartime naval passage while preserving commercial traffic, including Black Sea grain exports, she says. But that arrangement remains vulnerable to Russian coercion or low-cost disruption, with consequences for global food, energy, and trade flows.

Hoover InstitutionJul 29, 20264 min read