15 rescued Turkish sailors en route to Turkey

By Adam Abu-bashal

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - Fifteen rescued Turkish sailors are expected to arrive in Turkey early Sunday after they were held hostage aboard a Liberian-flagged ship.

The sailors were taken early Saturday to the Turkish Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria under strict security. Turkish Ambassador Melih Ulueren and other officials welcomed the sailors who were kidnapped after their ship was hijacked by pirates. They were rescued Friday.

The crew is expected to land in Istanbul at 6.15 a.m. (0315GMT) on a Turkish Airlines flight.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the return journey on Twitter. "We are waiting for you with your families," he said.

In the attack, 15 of Mozart’s crew of 19 were abducted Jan. 23. One, an Azerbaijani national, was killed.

Following the attack, the ship anchored in nearby Port-Gentil, but with only three surviving crew members on board. They were taken Jan. 30 to Turkey.

The vessel was managed by Borealis Maritime, a firm based in London and Hamburg, Germany.