Somali pirates hijacked a ship sailing in the Indian Ocean Tuesday. The Malta-flagged MV Frigia, which sailed from the Ashdod Port en route to Thailand, was carrying fertilizer purchased from an Israeli company.
The vessel was carrying a crew of 19 Turkish seamen and two Ukrainians.
John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force, said the hijacking took place more than 1,000 miles out at sea, and some 400 miles outside where the naval force operates.
The MV Frigia was carrying fertilizers bought from ICL Fertilizers, a subsidiary of Israeli Chemicals. A source in the shipping industry told Ynet the responsibility for the cargo lies with the overseas company that bought it.
Ayhan Ugurlubay, a spokesman for the Turkey-based Karya shipping company, which own and operated the Frigia, said officials received a distress signal from the ship early Tuesday but have had no contact with the ship since then.
"We carried out all the required procedures. The ship sailed through the dangerous zone in a convoy, escorted by (Turkish navy frigates) the Gediz and Gelibolu," he said.
"The incident occurred one and a half days after it left the naval convoy ... It is the first time that a ship has been kidnapped so far away," he said.
An EU Naval Force official expressed concerns that the stolen fertilizer may be used by the Somali pirates to create explosive devices.
AP contributed to this report