Russian cargo ship with grain from Ukraine: Turkey should arrest it
Created: 07/02/2022 15:56
By: Fee Halberstadt
A Russian ship has apparently loaded stolen grain and is bound for Turkey.
(Iconic image) © Vadim Ghirda/dpa
A Russian ship is said to have loaded stolen grain and is on its way to Turkey.
Ukraine demands to seize the freighter.
Ankara – As early as June 30, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office informed Turkey's Ministry of Justice that a ship carrying an "illegal export of Ukrainian grain" was on its way to the Turkish port city of Karasu.
Officials believe the Zhibek Zholy loaded about 4,500 tons of grain from Berdyansk, according to
Reuters
, citing Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
Kyiv calls on Turkey to seize the cargo ship.
In the letter, the Attorney General's Office demanded that Turkey conduct "an inspection of this seagoing vessel", confiscate "grain samples for a forensic examination" and demand "information on the whereabouts of the grain", reports the British newspaper
Independent.
Stolen grain from Ukraine: Russian cargo ship bound for Turkey
Also, on July 1st, Vasyl Bodnar, the Ukrainian ambassador, tweeted: "Based on the letter we received from [Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office], we asked the Turkish side to take the appropriate measures." He seems confident that "that the decisions to be taken will prevent attempts to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine."
So far, Russia has denied allegations that the country stole grain from Ukraine.
A request for immediate comment on Friday (July 1) has not received a response from Kremlin officials in Moscow.
They are not alone in this, as the Turkish Foreign Ministry also did not immediately issue a statement on the arrival of the freighter, the
Independent
reports .
Russian-flagged ship: Turkey should confiscate it
However, the owner of the ship spoke up and announced that a Russian company had chartered the ship as part of a bareboat charterer.
The company KTZ Express, which owns the ship, assures that they will comply with all sanctions and restrictions against Russia.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Russia has blocked grain exports from the country in order to have leverage.
He has already used this to make a perfidious suggestion.
(fh)
