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Russian cargo ship crew member debunks Kiev’s claim Turkey ‘detained’ vessel

A Turkish customs official in the port of Karasu did not confirm or deny Kiev’s claims

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. The Turkish customs services have not conducted any procedures to detain a Russian dry cargo ship with grain as claimed by Kiev and the vessel is in anchorage due to unfavorable weather, a crew member told TASS on Tuesday.

"Upon the detention procedure, a vessel is taken to the port under an escort, which means it would have been delivered under Turkey’s escort, had something really happened. There was no detention. The vessel is simply anchored due to weather conditions. A surveyor has arrived on the vessel and inspected the cargo, this always takes place," the crew member assured.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar claimed on July 3 that at Kiev’s demand the Turkish customs had detained a Russian cargo vessel allegedly shipping Ukrainian grain. The Russian Embassy in Turkey told TASS that Turkish officials did not report any detention of a Russian dry cargo ship.

A Turkish customs official in the port of Karasu did not confirm or deny Kiev’s claims. A source in the port said that the vessel had been awaiting permission from the Turkish authorities since July 1 to enter Karasu and unload cargo, but received no reply.

Turkey’s Dogan news agency reported that the grain brought by the Russian cargo vessel to Turkey was intended to be delivered by trucks to the city of Konya in the center of the country after being unloaded at the port of Karasu.