Of the many spectacular views in Istanbul, vistas of the Bosphorus Strait, a 19km waterway that divides Europe from Asia, are perhaps the most beautiful. Yet unbeknown to the crowds of tourists snapping photos of the huge bridge or the 15-century Rumelian castle, the Bosphorus has recently taken on renewed importance in the theatre of the Syrian war. Over the past several months, the sea route from the Black Sea to the eastern Mediterranean that passes through Istanbul has been crucial to Russia's widening and deepening support for the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Irish Times: Russia using sea route via Istanbul to supply Assad regime
Russian warship BSF Tsezar Kunikov 158 passes the Bosphorus Strait off Istanbul on her way to the eastern Mediterranean sea on May 19, 2016.
