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Türkiye has condemned a drone strike on the Turkish-operated tanker Altura in the Black Sea, labeling the attack a violation of its maritime territory.
While the Foreign Ministry says the strike occurred within Türkiye's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), it confirmed that all 27 crew members are safe and in good health.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli condemned the attack in a statement on X.
"The attack on the Sierra Leone-flagged, Turkish-operated tanker ALTURA carrying crude oil in the Black Sea is of great concern. The 27 Turkish crew members on board are in good health," Keceli stated.
He said the attack occurred within Türkiye's EEZ and violates international law, noting that, "Such attacks create serious risks in terms of life, property, navigation and environmental safety in the region."
"We are in contact with the relevant parties to prevent the war from spreading to the Black Sea and to prevent further escalation," Keceli added
"We also reserve our right to take necessary measures within the framework of international law to protect our country's economic interests and activities in the region," the Turkish foreign ministry spokesman noted.
Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense separately stated that it is closely monitoring risks posed in the Black Sea by drones, given their extensive use in the Russia-Ukraine war, including the risk of drones losing control and drifting toward the Turkish coast.
Türkiye's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu also stated that the vessel was struck from outside, with the engine room specifically targeted in what he described as a deliberate attack intended to fully disable the ship.
"We believe the engine room was deliberately targeted, to completely take the vessel out of action. This could have been carried out by an unmanned maritime vehicle. It could also be below the water line, our technical teams have been directed to the scene," he said.
Distress call audio recordings from the vessel emerged, in which crew members reported that the ship was taking on water and that they were awaiting emergency assistance, with no injuries on board.
The nearest vessel, the Erdek, responded to the call, while coast guard rescue ships Kurtarma 11 and Kurtarma 12 and fast boat Kiyi Emniyeti 5 were also dispatched to the scene.
Damage was reported to the upper deck and the engine room.
The ALTURA, Sierra Leone-flagged and operated by Turkish company Pergamon Denizcilik İşletmeleri A.S., formerly known as Besiktas, departed Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk carrying approximately 140,000 tonnes, or approximately one million barrels, of crude oil en route to Istanbul.
The vessel was struck at approximately 12:30 a.m. local time.
Uraloglu noted that the likelihood of the attack being linked to the Russia-Ukraine war appeared high.
"It's an oil tanker, not a dry cargo vessel, so the risk in that sense is elevated. The entire crew of 27 are Turkish nationals. There are no health problems, no injuries," he said.
The incident is one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports.
Late last year, shipping insurance rates rose after Ukrainian naval drones struck Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to threaten retaliation and NATO member Türkiye to urge calm.
Ankara has warned both Kyiv and Moscow against carrying out attacks near its territorial waters.
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