Monday, October 05, 2009
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ANKARA (Reuters) - Somali pirates have freed the crew of a Turkish ship hijacked in July in the Gulf of Aden after the shipping company paid a ransom, Turkish media said on Monday.
The Horizon 1 is now heading towards Jordan after pirates disembarked from the ship, NTV broadcaster quoted shipping company Horizon lawyer Nilgun Yamaner as saying.
"The ship is heading towards Jordan. The crew will then be brought by plane," Yamaner was quoted as saying.
The father of the second captain confirmed to CNN Turk that the crew had been released after paying an undisclosed ransom.
Gangs from Somalia -- some made up of former fishermen angered by the presence of foreign fishing boats in their waters -- have made tens of millions of dollars in ransoms by seizing boats in shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia.
Pirate attacks have continued despite patrols by foreign navies off the lawless Horn of Africa state. (Writing by Ibon Villelabeitia)
Source: Reuters, Oct 05, 2009