The ship spotter who knows when Russian warships are on the move

Yoruk Isik, from Istanbul, is a ship spotter. He logs all the boats passing through the narrow Bosphorus Strait near his home. In 2015 he noted that more Russian military vessels were heading in the direction of Syria. He believes his garden view is a window in to the current state of international relations.

The full story: The city where Russia cannot hide its warships

On the Black Sea: The Voyage Begins is available to listen to and download on the BBC iPlayer. The second part in the series will be broadcast on the BBC World Service on Wed 26 Jul 2017 at 03:32 BST.