Pirates seize Turkish bulker

PIRATES today hijacked a Turkish bulk carrier with 23 crew in the Gulf of Aden, the owner said.

Horizon 1 was seized in the early hours of the morning after being surrounded by three pirate boats, Horizon Maritime & Trade told the Associated Press in Istanbul.

A company spokesman said the vessel was continuing its course despite being hijacked. No ransom demands have been received.

East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme head Andrew Mwangura also confirmed the hijacking and expressed surprise at the timing: "In this season, it is hard to take ships because monsoon winds make the seas rough. No one expected attacks at this time."

The Turkish naval vessel Gediz is heading towards the bulker, said Africa News, which reported that an an initial attack had been fought off by a Dutch military vessel. The 34,000dwt ship was carrying 33,000m³ of sulphates from Saudi Arabia to Jordan.

"There are three unarmed pirates on board the ship," Omer Ozgur, spokesman for Istanbul's Horizon told Turkey's Anatolia news agency. "They are holding a meeting with the ship's captain. There is nothing to worry about. There is no reason to fear for the crew."

Meanwhile, Somalia's fisheries minister told London's Financial Times newspaper that the country expects to start coastguard patrols near the end of this month.

"Starting from July 26, if we have the kind of support we want from the international community, we will patrol the whole coastline of Somalia," Abdulrahim Adan Ibrahim said.

Source: Fairplay