Turkey expresses concern over Black Sea incident as investigation into suspected remote-controlled attack continues.
ISTANBUL — (Horn post) Turkish authorities have launched an investigation after an explosion struck an oil tanker near the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul in the early hours of March 26, raising security concerns in the Black Sea region.
In a statement issued later that evening, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was “deeply concerned” about the incident, describing it as an attack in the Black Sea.
Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli confirmed that all 27 Turkish crew members aboard the tanker Altura oil tanker were safe. The vessel, which sails under the Sierra Leone flag, is operated by a Turkish company.
Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the explosion occurred in the engine room shortly after midnight. The vessel alerted emergency response authorities, prompting the immediate deployment of coast guard and maritime security units to assist.
“We believe the engine room was specifically targeted,” Uraloğlu said in an interview, adding that initial assessments suggest the explosion may have been caused by a remotely controlled maritime device.
According to reports cited by Reuters, the tanker was carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil at the time of the incident. The explosion reportedly caused damage to the engine room, deck, and parts of the vessel’s bridge, with water entering the engine compartment.
Emergency response vessels were dispatched after the tanker issued a distress call near the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, a critical global shipping route linking the Black Sea to international markets.
Shipping data indicates the vessel had recently been docked at the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Reports also note that the tanker is listed under sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Authorities have not yet identified who was responsible for the attack or the motive behind it. Investigations and technical assessments are ongoing.
Prepared by: Horn Post Staff
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