This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
On July 16, a pirate attack off the coast of Nigeria left 10 Turkish sailors in the hands of their captors. The sailors, who were bound for Ivory Coast aboard a container ship, were intercepted by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Paksoy-1, the container ship they were on, had been sailing from Cameroon to Ivory Coast when the pirates boarded the vessel. According to Numan Paksoy, the ship's management company Kadıoğlu Maritime, about 12 pirates with heavy guns attacked the boat.
The crew members hid in a safe room, but emerged after the pirates threatened to burn the ship and kill them all. The attackers then picked 10 sailors and let the other eight go.
On August 10, 2019, Turkish state media reported that the released sailors were in good health, but gave no further details. It was unclear who had kidnapped the men or if a ransom had been paid.
The Gulf of Guinea is considered the most dangerous sea in the world for piracy, with 73% of all sea kidnappings and 92% of hostage-takings occurring in the region.
Separately, four Turkish nationals who were kidnapped in Nigeria's Kwara State on July 19 were rescued on July 26, 2019.
