Turkish shipping company Besiktas Shipping says it is stopping all cargo operations connected to Russia, Reuters reported, citing a company statement.
In late November, the company’s oil tanker Mersin was damaged by explosions while at anchor off the coast of Senegal.
“Throughout our operations, we have strictly complied with all international sanctions, fully observing the G7/EU oil price cap mechanism and all relevant trade restrictions. However, the security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly. After a thorough assessment, we concluded that the risks to our vessels and crews have become unacceptable. As the safety of our personnel and assets is our top priority, we are ceasing all such operations.”
According to its website, Istanbul-based Besiktas Shipping owns one of Turkey’s largest tanker fleets (29 tankers).
As previously reported, on November 27 Mersin was damaged by four external explosions and began to take on water.
The owner says no crew members were injured and there was no cargo leak.
The cause of the blasts remains unclear. Turkish outlet Istanbul Haber reported the tanker was attacked by Ukrainian drones because it was carrying Russian oil.
Between November 28 and December 2, three tankers linked to Russia were reported attacked off Turkey’s coast.
