Suspension of Ship Movements in the Bosphorus Due to Cargo Ship Grounding

Turkish authorities announced on Monday that ship movements in the Bosphorus Strait have been suspended after a cargo ship ran aground while sailing from Ukraine to Istanbul. The General Directorate of Coastal Safety stated in a report that the cargo ship MKK-1, measuring 142 meters in length, ran aground off the coast of Beykoz in Istanbul while on its way from Ukraine to the city, noting that "our eight boats were immediately directed to the incident site." They confirmed that "ship movements in the Bosphorus Strait have been temporarily suspended." It is noteworthy that cargo ships are sailing from Ukrainian ports under the Istanbul Agreement for grain transport (the safe shipping initiative for grains and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports), which was signed on July 22, 2022, between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations. The agreement, facilitated by Turkey and the UN, aims to secure grain exports stuck in Ukrainian Black Sea ports (Eastern Europe) to the world.