Barbaros ‘harassed’ two tankers in international waters south of Limassol – reports

A Turkish seismic ship ‘harassed’ two oil tankers international waters south of Limassol, reports said on Thursday night.

According to the Sigma channel, the incident occurred at about 13.5 nautical miles – in international waters – southeast of Vasilikos, Limassol.

The Turkish vessel Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa contacted two oil tankers and requested that they move out of the way in order to prevent a collision.

The tankers concerned are said to be the EuroGlory (Liberia flag) and the Bauci, flying an Italian flag.

The captain of one of the tankers denied the request of the Turkish vessel, responding that his ship was too slow-moving to displace.

Later, however, defence ministry sources told Sigma that the episode could not be considered harassment under maritime navigation rules.

Eventually the Turkish vessel changed its course to avoid a collision.

The Barbaros is carrying out an unauthorised ‘seismic survey’ inside Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

The vessel will be conducting the surveys until May 26.

The area reserved for the seismic surveys covers large parts of Cyprus’ offshore blocks 1, 8 and 12, south of Limassol.

In February, sources had confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that the Barbaros was being escorted by a Turkish frigate.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.