Turkey has suspended shipping through the Dardanelles because of a forest fire
19.06.2024 - 11:19
Turkey has temporarily suspended shipping through the Dardanelles because of a forest fire that broke out nearby.
Shipping through the Dardanelles in northwestern Turkey was suspended on June 18, Alarabiya News reports.
The fire started in the afternoon on Tuesday in Canakkale province from stubble burning. Later, the fire spread to the forest.
The suspension affected vessels traveling south along the 60-kilometer waterway that connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean.
In the evening, the Coast Guard reported that traffic in the strait was fully restored after 19:00 GMT.
The Minister of Agriculture of Turkey, Ibrahim Yumakli, said that nine water planes, six helicopters and more than 360 firefighters were used to extinguish the fire.
As the flames spread, rescuers had to evacuate a village in the Edgeabat district, provincial authorities said in a statement.
Earlier, USM reported that Turkey will again raise the fee for the passage of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The fee for the passage of ships through the straits without stopping will increase by 6.3 times, compared to 2022.
