Somali pirates capture Turkish vessel

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A Turkish ship carrying iron ore from Canada to China remained out of contact Friday, two days after it was captured by Somali pirates.

The International Maritime Bureau in Malaysia said about 20 crew members were on the Yasa Neslihan when pirates boarded it Wednesday, Today's Zaman reported.

Fehmi Ulgener, a lawyer for the company that owns the vessel, said the only information it had gotten was from NATO, which reported the coordinates. He said the pirates had not made any ransom demands yet.

At least 75 ships have been hijacked off the coast of Somalia this year, The New York Times said. About a dozen hijackings occurred this month, including the capture of a Ukrainian freighter carrying tanks and weapons to Kenya.