A Turkish-owned ship has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, reducing the number of Turkish-owned vessels still in the area to 12, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has said.
In a statement on social media, Uraloğlu said the Turkish-owned Ocean Thunder completed its exit from the Gulf after passing safely through the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
“As a result of our work with the Foreign Ministry, the Turkish-owned ship Ocean Thunder, which was sailing to carry crude oil loaded in Iraq to Malaysia, safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz as of last night and completed its exit from the Gulf,” Uraloğlu said.
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He added that three ships that had been waiting in the Gulf since the start of the war have now safely left through the strait.
“With this passage, the number of Turkish-owned ships in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to 12, and the number of ships requesting departure has fallen to eight,” he said.
Uraloğlu said efforts were continuing without interruption to ensure the safe transfer of the eight ships still seeking to leave the region and their 156 crew members.
He said the ministry would continue to closely monitor Turkish-owned ships and Turkish seafarers in the region in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and other relevant institutions.
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'Hormuz is open to friendly nations'
Iran's embassy in Turkey also confirmed the passage in a social media post describing Turkey as a friendly country.
"As part of coordination efforts with the relevant authorities in the Islamic Republic regarding safe passage, a second Turkish vessel has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is proceeding toward its final destination.
"The Strait of Hormuz is open to the passage and navigation of friendly nations. Restrictions apply only to hostile nations."
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to all but ships it had authorized as part of retaliation in the air war launched against it by the US and Israel on Feb 28. The strait handles 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Since the start of the Hormuz crisis, fuel prices in Turkey have risen sharply, with diesel prices increasing by about 33% since early March.
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