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Sailors of Streamline, arrested in Turkey, plan to return to Russia by March 24

The vessel, on the way from Rostov-on-Don to Istanbul for repair, was arrested in mid-2018

ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 18. /TASS/. The Russian crew of the vessel Streamline that was arrested in Turkey plans to go home before the end of this week. A lawyer will represent the interests of the sailors, the vessel’s captain, Bakhman Bagirov, told TASS on Monday.

The vessel, that went from Rostov-on-Don to Istanbul for repair, was arrested in June 2018. The captain earlier told the coastal services and the owner company, Akca Shipping corporation, about the intention to block the Bosporus due to the sailors’ arrears in salaries. They haven’t received money since June 2018, and the total amount of arrears exceeds $120,000.

"We are closely working with the lawyer. We will probably have ended the documents’ registration by the end of the week and gone [home.] Still, we will have to go without the money, but these are the current prospects," Bagirov said.

On Monday, the vessel’s captain was also summoned to the port’s captain to give testimony over the threats to close the strait. "As for Bosporus, a note was just included in this explanatory note (on arrears in salaries - TASS) saying that I previously told the coastal services [about the absence of the real intention to block the strait]," he explained.

The Comoro Islands-flagged vessel Streamline was sold to the Turkish company Akca Shipping corporation, according to its former owner (Seemann Investitionen Ltd). The ship went to Turkey for repair and was anchored at the port of Istanbul on June 11, 2018. On June 17, the Istanbul court arrested it, and the study of the issue on the possible release from the arrest was scheduled for April 2.

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