(With photos) ANKARA, March 21 (KUNA) -- A Turkish warship foiled a pirate attack on a Turkish commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, the army late Friday.
The daily "Hurriyet" quoted Turkish army spokesman Metin Gurak as saying that cargo vessel MV Ulusoy 8 reported it was being attacked by pirates on board two fast-moving skiffs on Thursday.
He said the TCG Giresun immediately headed toward the region and sent a helicopter, foiling the attack.
The warship is part of the multinational task force designed to combat Somali pirates that have preyed on vessels plying the important shipping lanes in the region.
Three Turkish vessels were hijacked for ransom in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, with the last of them being released on February 2. (end) mm.ema KUNA 210901 Mar 09NNNN