Heavy Fog Shuts Turkey's Bosphorus Strait

Turkish maritime officials shut Turkey's Bosphorus Strait on Monday after heavy fog reduced visibility in the narrow waterway, shipping agent GAC said.

Twelve tankers were waiting to sail through the waterway that links the Black Sea with Mediterranean waters, it said in an email. None were scheduled to make the voyage on Monday.

Tanker traffic in the Dardenelles at the other end of the Sea of Marmara was unaffected, GAC also said.

Fog is a common occurrence in the Bosphorus during the winter months, forcing its frequent closure, especially for large tankers carrying hazardous materials.

The Bosphorus bisects Istanbul, a city of 15 million people, and serves as a major shipping route for Russian crude and other commodities. Some 10,000 vessels and 150 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products transit each year.