Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait temporarily closed to naval traffic for passage of drilling platform

ISTANBUL

AA photo

Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait was temporarily closed to naval traffic on Sept. 18 as a giant oil drilling platform made its way through the channel.

The Bahama-flagged ship is on its way from Romania’s Constanta Harbor to Spain’s Las Palmas Harbor.

The 115-meter-long and 75-meter-high drilling platform “Scarabeo 9,” weighing 36,863 gross tons, entered the strait at 8:45 a.m. local time, according to information obtained by state-run Anadolu Agency from the Turkish Coast Guard.

The drilling platform is being accompanied by four trailers as well as an emergency intervention ship and a boat.

A single lane closed down for the passage will be reopened to traffic once the platform leaves the strait later on Sept. 18.

The Bosphorus Strait separates Asia and Europe.