Somali pirates demand ransom for hijacked ship from Turkish gov't

Armed Somali pirates captured Wednesday the "M/V Yasa Neslihan" freighter with 20 sailors in the Gulf of Aden. Ankara sought NATO's help to free the vessel and the crew which are reportedly unharmed.Â

 

"The pirates contacted us and demanded ransom. The amount of the ransom was specified," Fehmi Ulgener, a legal advisor for the Istanbul-based Yasa Company, said on NTV television, declining to reveal the sum the hijackers sought.

 

The company is considering what action to take, he said, adding that similar incidents off Somalia recently suggest that the pirates would allow them about two months to resolve the issue.

 

Piracy is rife and well organized in the area where Somalia’s northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal.

 

The pirates operate high-powered speedboats and are heavily armed, sometimes holding ships for weeks until they are released for large ransoms paid by governments or owners.