Turkey, freighter stranded in Istanbul

(ANSA) - ISTANBUL, DECEMBER 27 - A cargo ship ran aground on the European coast of Istanbul while crossing the Bosphorus. The Songa Iridium, a 191-meter vessel flying the Liberian flag, had left the port of Odessa in Ukraine and was headed for the Marmara sea when it ran aground due to technical problems, 25 minutes after entering the strait.
There are no victims or injuries or risks of environmental damage. Rescue vehicles were sent to the scene to unleash the ship, which is located near the Rumeli Hisari area, near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. The incident occurred just in the days when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan re-launched his plan to build a 45 km long maxi canal on the European side of Istanbul to replace the Bosporus. The plan, initially launched in 2011 and defined at the time "insane" by Erdogan himself, is strongly implemented by the mayor of the metropolis and environmental associations.