STANBUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea arrived back in Turkey on Sunday and the ship’s captain described how they faced death threats and were held in a forest during their three-week ordeal.
The sailors hugged relatives as they arrived before dawn at Istanbul Airport, where they were greeted by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and other officials, two days after news of their release in Nigeria emerged.
“We were in a forest. There were tough conditions. There were constantly armed men at our side,” Mustafa Kaya, captain of the ship “Mozart” from which the crew were abducted, was cited as saying by the Demiroren news agency.
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea have returned to Turkey and described the death threats they faced during their three-week ordeal.
The sailors embraced their families on Sunday after disembarking at Istanbul Airport, where they were greeted by Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and other officials, two days after news of their release in Nigeria emerged.
“We were in a forest. There were tough conditions. There were constantly armed men at our side,” Mustafa Kaya, captain of the ship MV Mozart from which the crew were abducted, was cited as saying by the Demiroren news agency.
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea have been freed in Nigeria and will head home, a shipping company executive said on Friday, two weeks after the attackers made contact to discuss a ransom. One sailor, a citizen of Azerbaijan, was killed in the raid on Jan. 23 which .
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea have been freed in Nigeria and will head home, a shipping company executive said on Friday, two weeks after the attackers made contact to discuss a ransom.