The Italian Ministry of Defense announced that Italian special forces boarded a Turkish cargo ship today, Friday, after the crew discovered a group of unknown individuals on board, some of whom were armed. Italian Minister Guido Crosetto stated that there are 15 "illegal migrants" on the ship, but did not provide details on how they managed to board or their country of origin. Crosetto said, "Now all crew members must be freed, and the ship secured," adding that the operation is still ongoing.
A statement from the Turkish Ministry of Transport noted that the cargo ship "Galata Seaways" had set sail from the Turkish port of Yalova bound for the French port of Sete. The crew noticed the presence of other individuals on board late Friday morning through security cameras, which showed them walking around the ship possibly in possession of sharp objects. The Italian defense minister reported that between two and three of them were armed. The crew locked themselves in the engine room and sent a distress call to the maritime authorities in Turkey, which contacted Italy and France. The statement indicated that they subsequently sailed towards the city of Naples in southern Italy.
