Turkey removes mine near strategic strait

According to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the mine found today near the Bosphorus Strait has an old design and a team of military divers neutralized it.

Several witnesses heard loud explosions in the northern city of Istanbul, at sea near the village of Rumelifeneri. The area has recently had many ships, helicopters, and military aircraft in operation. Other witnesses said they saw a minesweeper coming from Istanbul into the water.

“We are negotiating with the Russian and Ukrainian authorities on this issue,” Akar told TRT television, stressing that the movement of ships in these waters was not hindered.

Earlier, the Turkish Coast Guard announced it was suspending traffic in the Bosphorus Strait due to the appearance of an object shaped like a torpedo and issued a warning to ships to stay away. Dogan news agency said the suspicious device was found by fishermen near the area where the boat was moored.

A statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry said the torpedo had drifted into the strait from the Black Sea. Minister Akar reiterated that Turkish naval forces will remain vigilant.

A few days ago, Russian intelligence officials reported that some torpedoes may have severed their cables and drifted away from the Ukrainian port area in the north of the sea. Kiev denied the information, saying that this was an attempt to block information from Russia to block part of the sea.

The Black Sea is an international shipping lane for grain, petroleum and petrochemical products. The Bosphorus Strait, which divides the Turkish city of Istanbul, helps connect the Black Sea with the waters of the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean.

Trung Nhan (Based on TASS, Reuters)

at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here