One tanker freed after minor collision at Istanbul coast

ISTANBUL

Two oil tankers briefly came into contact off the coast of Istanbul’s Küçükçekmece district after one vessel’s anchor chain became entangled in the other’s propeller, with one tanker later freed and salvage operations continuing for the other on Dec. 31.

The incident occurred at the Küçükçekmece anchorage area on Dec. 30, where the 141-meter-long Kalbajar, sailing under the Azerbaijani flag, was anchored near the 115-meter-long tanker Alatepe.

Following distress calls from the vessels, coastal safety teams were dispatched to the scene.

The Kalbajar, which was not carrying cargo, later freed itself from the chain and was able to restart its engines, moving away from the area under its own power.

The Alatepe, which was carrying around 2,500 tons of chemical cargo, remained immobilized, with its propeller still affected by the entangled chain.

In a statement, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said salvage operations on the Alatepe would begin once weather conditions improve.

It confirmed that all crew members were safe and unharmed.