Turkey briefly stops traffic in Bosphorus Strait to defuse mine

The strait is opened after a stray mine has been removed from the key waterway linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Turkey’s military has deactivated a mine that had drifted in from the Black Sea, setting off a loud explosion in the process, days after Russia warned several of them had washed away from Ukrainian ports.

On Saturday, defense minister Hulusi Akar described the object, first discovered by fishermen in the upper Bosphorus strait, as an old type of mine and said he was in touch with both Russian and Ukrainian authorities about it.

The explosion was heard north of Istanbul, an area where naval vessels and military planes, and helicopters were active.

“The mine, determined to be an old type, was neutralized by our team…and naval forces continue their vigilant work,” Akar said in a televised statement.

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