EU Naval Force says that Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish ship between Somalia and India

EU Naval Force: Somali pirates hijack Turkish ship

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked a Turkish ship carrying fertilizer far out at sea in a takeover that took place closer to India than Africa, officials said Tuesday.

The hijacking of the Malta-flagged MV Frigia took place more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) out at sea and represents a substantial increase in the pirates’ range, said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force. The attack took place more than 400 miles (640 kilometers) outside where the naval force operates.

The ship’s cargo could complicate the hostage-taking if the fertilizers on board could be used for bomb-making in Somalia, where militants and Somali government troops are engaging in increasingly violent battles.

Pirates in the past have hijacked ships carrying weapons and fuel, but they have never turned over the potentially dangerous cargo to militants.

Ayhan Ugurlubay, a spokesman for the Turkey-based Karya shipping company, said officials received a distress signal from the Frigia early Tuesday but have had no contact with the ship since then.

The ship was carrying fertilizer from Israel and was heading for Thailand, he said.

The ship had 19 Turks and two Ukrainians on board.

“We carried out all the required procedures. The ship sailed through the dangerous zone in a convoy, escorted by (Turkish navy frigates) the Gediz and Gelibolu,” he told Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency.

“The incident occurred one and a half days after it left the naval convoy …. It is the first time that a ship has been kidnapped so far away,” he said.

Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia’s lawless shores. Somalia has not had a functioning government for 19 years.