Turkish shipping company ends Russia-linked activity after tanker blasts

Besiktas Shipping, the Turkish owner of an oil tanker damaged off Senegal’s coast last week after four external explosions, announced on December 2 that it is ending all shipping activity linked to Russia.

The tanker Mersin had been anchored near Dakar when the blasts struck on November 27, allowing seawater to enter the engine room, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The cause of the explosions has not yet been determined.

In its statement, Besiktas Shipping announced that it would immediately suspend all operations related to Russia and would no longer accept voyages connected to Russia.

"Throughout our operations, we have strictly adhered to all international sanctions regimes, maintaining full compliance with the G7/EU Price Cap mechanism and all relevant trade restrictions," the company said.

It added that deteriorating security conditions had forced a reassessment.

"However, the security situation in the region has escalated considerably. After a thorough assessment, we have concluded that the risks posed to our vessels and crew have become untenable," the statement read.

The explosions occurred one day before Ukrainian naval drones struck two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea, near the Turkish coast, as they sailed toward a Russian port to load oil, a Ukrainian official said on November 29.

Another Russian-flagged tanker carrying sunflower oil also reported a drone attack off Türkiye on December 2.

Ukraine denied involvement in the latter incident, while a Turkish official confirmed that “necessary messages” had been delivered to all relevant parties, including Ukrainian authorities.

Istanbul-based Besiktas Shipping is one of Türkiye’s largest tanker operators, managing a fleet of 29 vessels.

By Jeyhun Aghazada