Storm Forces Turkey to Shut Dardanelles to Tankers

Turkey shut its Dardanelles Strait to tankers and its flag carrier cancelled some domestic and international flights in and out of Istanbul due to a storm.

The Dardanelles waterway is frequently forced to shut during the winter due to rough weather, usually at least two or three times a month.

Five northbound and three southbound tankers waiting to pass through the Dardanelles were expected to be scheduled to do so on Tuesday, shipping agency GAC said.

The Bosphorus Strait remained open.

Connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits form one of the world's major energy shipping routes, with about 10,000 vessels carrying 150 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products on the waterways every year.

Turkish Airlines cancelled 10 flights to and from Istanbul, while local ferries across the Bosphorus were also cancelled.