A Turkish ship which was distressed following pirates' attack at sea has been rescued and brought ashore by the Ghana Navy.

The Ghanaian navy crew members were on the GNS EHWOR, conducting routine patrols at sea at the time, swiftly responded to the situation and offered assistance to the Turkish flagged vessel, MV PAKSOY-1, which was attacked in Nigerian waters, while en route to Côte d’Ivoire, after discharging her cargo (fertilizer) in Douala, Cameroun, from Morocco.

Commodore James Osei Kontoh, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Eastern Naval Command, told the Ghana News Agency that, the vessel was attacked by about six armed pirates.

They came with a speed boat, boarded the vessel and took away 10 Turkish crew members, and later abandoned the ship, he said.

Commodore Kontoh stated that the alleged pirates fired and destroyed most of the navigational equipment at the bridge, which totally crippled the vessel.

He said they then took away the 10 crew members at gunpoint and abandoned the ship at about 2300 hours, leaving 8 crew members on-board, on Saturday, 13 July 2019.

The vessel was subsequently escorted to Tema by GNS EHWOR on Monday, 15 July 2019 and was currently safe at the Tema Anchorage.

The FOC indicated that on 17 July 2019, he met with the Turkish Ambassador, and some security agencies in the Ghana maritime sector, to discuss the perennial problem of piracy.