The port of Aqaba disposes of a Turkish ship that has been held for 10 years

  • Time:Feb 17
  • Written : smartwearsonline
  • Category:Article

A Decrease font size.A Reset font size.A Increase font size.

Ahmed Al-Rawashdeh

Aqaba - Aqaba got rid of the "scrap" of the Turkish ship "Hizer Sofuglua", which had been held in the docks for more than 10 years, threatening public safety, life and the marine environment.

The marines and environmental specialists called for the speedy removal and evacuation of the impounded ship, which occupies berths in the ports, with the aim of stopping its risks to maritime security and safety, and preserving the port's reputation globally.

In the context, the removal of another ship, called “Habdra”, which has been lying in the ports and has been a burden for years, failed.

The tugboats of the Aqaba Port for Marine Services Company, under the supervision of its General Manager Dirk Wijnen and its Maritime Director Zafer Freihat, were able to remove the ship “Hizer Sofuglua” and tow it to the territorial waters, to be towed to the Egyptian ports, after selling it at public auction and settling the outstanding issues on it.

The Acting General Manager of the Aqaba Company for Ports Management and Operation, Dr. Khaled Al-Maaytah, said that Aqaba got rid of the “Heizer Sofuglua” scrap, after occupying the northern port dock for more than 10 years.

Al-Maaita confirmed that this ship was seized by the judiciary, and it is in the custody of the Aqaba Ports Operation and Management Company, which put it up for auction under the supervision of the judiciary. After bidding on it, it docked with an investor and sold it according to the rules.

He pointed out that efforts were made to remove it from its location, and tow it by cutting off the Aqaba Port Company for Marine Services, under the supervision of the Aqaba Ports Operation and Management Company and the Jordanian Maritime Authority.

The port of Aqaba disposes of a Turkish vessel detained since 10 years.</p><p>He confirmed that the scrap of the second ship, “Hadra”, is on its way to leaving the port berths in the near future, after it was also put up for public auction soon.</p><p>Al-Maaita indicated that the cadres of the Aqaba Port Company for Marine Services carried out the necessary initial maintenance for the ship “Heizer Sofuglua” and removed it with its tugboats, stressing that it was occupying part of the port berths and posing a threat to safety and the marine environment, in addition to the inspection campaigns on it. around the clock, to make sure they are lined up in position, especially in winter.</p><p>A fire broke out on the ship “Heizer Sofuogloa” during the tenth month of 2004, while it was moored 700 meters off the former dock of the Jordan Ports Corporation.</p><p>The sources indicated at the time that the crew of “Hizer Sofuglua”, consisting of 8 members, denied the crime of setting the fire that was assigned to them in this regard, while the Public Prosecutor of Aqaba took over the investigation of the case, and kept its crew with the competent authorities, until the completion of the investigation. And find out the reasons for the existence of a criminal suspicion.</p><p>The tugboats and boats of the Aqaba Port Company for Marine Services were able to reach the site of “Heizer Sofuglua” when the fire broke out in it in record time, and to rescue their crew, while the tugboats, the naval force and the civil defense continued the extinguishing and cooling process.</p><p>Sources told Al-Ghad that the ship is now just a scrap, pointing out that damage has affected most of its facilities.</p><p>In the details of the incident of setting the fire, sources confirmed that “Hizer Sofuglua”, which is owned by a Turkish company, with 8 Turkish nationals on board, docked in mid-April since 2004 in the port of Aqaba, to unload its cargo consisting of industrial tools ( pipes) and emptied quickly, but a technical failure in its engine forced the maritime authorities in Jordan, who are entrusted with maritime public safety tasks, to ask its owner to repair it before leaving, and the repair process took place in May 2004, while it was waiting for it to be loaded from the port Aqaba. And it showed that the ship's crew threatened more than once to set fire to

The threat was heard by the employees of the Maritime Authority and the security personnel during their inspection of the ship two days before it burned, to ensure that its malfunction was fixed within their maritime control powers.

They pointed out that this forced the maritime authority to summon the Turkish consul, and put him in the face of the seriousness of the escalatory situation and the threat to burn the ship, and to demand that he resolve the dispute between the company that owns the ship and its crew.

During that period, it was found, through an inspection campaign by the Maritime Authority, that the ropes and straps attached to these ships were eroded, and coordination was initiated with the Aqaba Port Operation and Management Company, the Aqaba Port Company for Marine Services, the ship's agent and the relevant authorities, and the ship was fixed under the supervision of the authority, with the assistance of the Aqaba Port Company. For marine services, to ensure that no emergency occurs.

Deputy Director of the Aqaba Port Company for Maritime Services, Captain Dhafer Freihat, said that one of the ships that used to occupy one of the berths and constituted an obstacle to the maritime authorities was disposed of, in addition to the visual pollution it caused, in addition to its threat to marine life and safety.

Freihat indicated that Aqaba got rid of the "Scrap" ship thanks to the efforts of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, its development arm, the Aqaba Development Company and partners in the maritime sector, hoping that the ship "Hadra" would be disposed of as soon as possible.

Tags: Port Operation Department, Türkiye, Aqaba Port