Italian defense minister says security forces regain control of Turkish ship attacked by stowaways

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - A Turkish ship that was attacked by armed stowaways was secured by security forces off the southern city of Naples, the Italian defense minister said Friday.

"The ship's hijackers have been captured. All ended well," Guido Crosetto wrote on Twitter and congratulated security forces taking part in the operation to regain control of the ship.

Crosetto told reporters earlier that stowaways, who he described as a group of illegal immigrants with "dagger-type weapons," took control of the Turkish-flagged Galata Seaways ro-ro ship, which was sailing from Türkiye's Yalova province to the French port of Sete.

Following the operation by two Navy helicopters, coast guard personnel and customs police, control of the ship was regained off Naples.

Türkiye's General Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DGM) said relevant authorities were alerted at 11.20 a.m. local Turkish time that 15 stowaways with dagger-type knives were detected onboard.

The crew locked them in safe areas to secure themselves.

Following evaluations, Turkish authorities contacted Italian and French authorities, and upon the request of the ship’s company and approval from Rome, it was decided that the ship sailed toward Naples, the DGM said in the statement.

Later, sharing images from the ship's security cameras, the DGM announced on Twitter that Italian security forces regained control of the ship and rescued the crew.