Vessel with Azerbaijanis on board arrested on Indian coast

The crew of the Turkey-flagged vessel includes 5 Azerbaijanis, 10 Turkish and 1 Georgian.

Anar Mehdiyev, 24-year-old crew member from Azerbaijan’s Tovuz region, contacted ANS TV and reported that the vessel has not been supplied with fuel, water and food in an open ocean for already 2 months 5 days.

Mehdiyev said the vessel has been arrested near port of Bombay. The crew members are not allowed to leave the vessel and they are unable to go ashore.

Azerbaijani embassy in Ankara was informed about the incident both via fax and telephone. But the embassy has not yet provided a feedback. A hour ago Turkey’s consulate in India contacted the vessel and said Turkey’s citizens will be provided with necessary help.

Mehdiyev said their passports were seized back in Istanbul under the pretext of issuing permits for work on the vessel.

/ANSPRESS/