Forest fire shuts Dardanelles Strait for maritime traffic

Maritime traffic from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara has been suspended due to the ongoing forest fire in Turkey's province of Canakkale, the Turkish transport ministry and a shipping agency said.

"The traffic at Dardanelles was suspended for both directions on Tuesday at 18:45 (1545 GMT) hours due to the aircraft intervening in the forest fire in the region by safely taking water from the sea," Tribeca shipping agency said.

According to Tribeca, 15 northbound and 19 southbound vessels were stranded on either side of the waterway. It said one of the northbound vessels and five of the southbound vessels are substantial in size, measuring over 200 meters in length.

The larger vessels will await passage until Wednesday morning, allowing them to navigate the strait in daylight. Smaller vessels were initially scheduled for passage on Tuesday, the agency said.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said the forest fire had prompted evacuation of six villages in its path.