15 Turkish sailors arrive in Turkey after rescue

By Abidin Mutlu Bozdag and Burak Bir

ISTANBUL / ANKARA (AA) - Fifteen Turkish sailors arrived in Istanbul early Sunday following their abduction by pirates by pirates off the coast of Nigeria.

The sailors were taken early Saturday to the Turkish Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria under strict security.

Turkish Ambassador Melih Ulueren and other officials welcomed the seamen who were kidnapped after their Liberian-flagged ship was hijacked by pirates. They were rescued Friday.

The crew was rescued Friday and brought back to Turkey via a Turkish Airlines flight.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the return journey on Twitter late Saturday. "We are waiting for you with your families," he said

In the attack, 15 of Mozart’s crew of 19 were abducted Jan. 23. One, an Azerbaijani national, was killed.

Following the attack, the ship anchored in nearby Port-Gentil, but with only three surviving crew members on board. They were taken Jan. 30 to Turkey.

The vessel was managed by Borealis Maritime, a firm based in London and Hamburg, Germany.