A mine that broke its mooring and was carried by the waves was detected at the entrance to the Black Sea side of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkish media reported on Saturday.
According to the private Turkish channel NTV, a fisherman who saw the mine 2 km off Rumelifeneri, in the north of Istanbul, alerted the authorities on Saturday morning.
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Turkish Navy special operation units have been dispatched to the scene following the discovery of a mine-like object
," the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
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The object has been placed in a secure location and the units have started their intervention to render it harmless
,” the ministry added.
Boats moored nearby have been moved away and the Bosphorus has been temporarily closed to maritime traffic, according to Turkish media.
According to NTV, the mine detected would contain 30 kg of explosives and would be an old Russian-made mine.
The Turkish authorities had this week warned of the risk of mines off the Ukrainian coast which could have been unmoored due to a storm, by publishing a message on the NAVTEX maritime warning system.
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These mines can drift at sea and present a danger
,” the Turkish navy said.
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Underwater mines must be equipped with systems that make them harmless if unmoored, according to the 1907 Hague Convention. But older mines may lack such systems and present a danger, according to Turkish media.