Pirates have hijacked a Turkish ship with 20 crew members off the coast of Somalia, AP quoted officials as saying Thursday. The M/V Yasa Neslihan freighter was boarded in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, the International Maritime Bureau in Malaysia said, confirming news reports in Turkey. Noel Choong, a bureau official, said pirates also attempted to hijack an Italian-operated general cargo ship with 26 crew on Tuesday in the same area but that it managed to escape with unspecified aggressive maneuvers. «Pirate attacks are still continuing in the region, despite additional security measures. It is worrying,» Choong told The Associated Press. Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said the Yasa Neslihan _ which is registered in the Marshall Islands but managed and operated in Turkey _ was carrying iron ore from Canada to China. Turkey asked NATO forces to help end the hijacking off Somalia, an area where pirates often attack ships, Anatolia said.
