The Dardanelles Strait has been temporarily shut to maritime traffic due to forest fires raging in north-western Turkey, the country's transport ministry has said.
The major international waterway was shut as a precautionary measure, it said, as the blazes spread near the city of Canakkale, where a number of residents have been evacuated.
Turkish firefighters have been deployed to try to contain the fires. Specialist firefighting planes and helicopters are also in use.
The Dardanelles links the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Together with the Bosporus Strait, it serves as a vital route for commercial shipping between Europe and Asia.
According to Turkey’s Ministry of Transport, the Canakkale Airport stopped arrivals and departures temporarily because of fires.
The vessel traffic in the Dardanelles has been suspended because of wildfires, the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs of the Turkish Ministry of Transport reported.
ReplyDelete"Navigation in the Dardanelles has been temporarily stopped to both sides because of wildfires occurred in the Canakkale Province," the authority said.
According to Turkey’s Ministry of Transport, the Canakkale Airport stopped arrivals and departures temporarily because of fires.