ISTANBUL, Jan 12 (AFP) - Thick fog made shipping dangerous Wednesday in the Bosporus and Dardanelles, shutting down traffic in the Turkish straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, officials said.
"Fog has strongly reduced visibility, which was around 50 to 60 meters (165 to 200 feet) last night," Recep Canpolat, spokesman for the maritime safety office said. "The straits were closed to traffic at 12:50 am (2250 GMT)," he told AFP, adding that no great disturbances to shipping were expected.
The Turkish straits were expected to reopen soon, Canpolat said.
Freighters and oil tankers heading from Russian and Ukrainian Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean are required to pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles, and they are among the busiest shipping straits in the world.
01/12/2005 10:51 GMT - AFP