By Al Arabiya with Agencies
This undated file photo shows the “Atlantic Cruiser owned by a German shipping firm which has denied reports the vessel was carrying Iranian arms bound for Syria in violation of European Union sanctions against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)
A German-owned ship suspected of carrying weapons and ammunition heading to Syria was being towed into Turkey’s Mediterranean Iskenderun port for inspection on Wednesday, officials said.
“We received information that the vessel has a cargo of arms and ammunition headed for Syria,” a source told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that Turkish authorities would search the vessel later in the day.
The “Atlantic Cruiser” is already being investigated by Germany after Der Spiegel news magazine reported the ship was carrying Iranian weapons to Syria in breach of an arms embargo.
Turkish Foreign Ministry and port officials said the ship was being towed into the port which is located on Turkey’s eastern Mediterranean coast just over 100 km (60 miles) north of Syria, on suspicion it was carrying weapons.
The officials could not confirm if there were weapons aboard but said they were planning to inspect all the ship’s cargo once it had been offloaded. The ship had been due to offload some of its cargo in Turkey as part of its route, they said.
via Turkey intercepts ship suspected of carrying weapons headed for Syria.
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