A Turkish ship that came under attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia successfully warded off the assault, the news channel CNN-Turk reported on Friday, according to dpa. The vessel, the Elgiznur Cebi, was ambushed by pirates at 02:45 GMT in the Gulf of Aden while en route from the Black Sea to Saudi Arabia. The attack was fought off and the 19-member crew is in good health, the Turkish navy said in a statement. On Thursday, Turkey handed over command of the international naval mission to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia to the United States. The Gulf of Aden is considered one of the most dangerous sea routes in the world. In the past year alone, over 100 freight ships have been attacked and dozens highjacked.
