Kidnapped Turkish sailors rescued after pirate attack

By Yunus Turk

ISTANBUL (AA) - All 15 remaining crew members of the Liberian-flagged ship the Mozart were rescued Friday after the cargo vessel had fallen victim to a pirate attack off Nigeria, two involved maritime companies announced.

Borealis Maritime and Boden Maritime stated that the entire crew was now safe in contact with their families, adding that they would return to Turkey as soon as possible.

"We thank the Turkish and Nigerian governments for their support during these challenging three weeks, all government agencies and officials, the entire Borealis community working on land and at sea, and everyone who helped us solve this problem," the statement said.

The statement also expressed the firms' condolences for one crew member who lost his life during the attack, while commending three others who remained on board for their courage and discipline in bringing the ship back to a secure area.

It added that another statement would be issued once the released personnel return to their families.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the crew members were in good health and would be brought to Turkey from Nigeria's capital Abuja.

In a pirate attack on Jan. 23, 15 of the Mozart's 19 crew members were abducted, while one of them, an Azerbaijani national, was killed.

Following the attack, the ship anchored at the nearby Port-Gentil, but with only three of its surviving crew members on board.

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