The risk of piracy at sea is increasing

Somali pirates attacked three ships in five days, one of which was under the control of Turkish captains. Lawyer Selçuk Esenyel, who negotiated with Nigerian pirates to save kidnapped Turkish sailors in the past, pointed out that the risk of pirates in the seas has increased again.

The commercial ship named “M/V Central Park”, which was sailing in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia and whose first and fourth captains were Turkish, was hijacked by a group of armed attackers on November 26, 2023.

With the intervention of a US warship that received the ship’s call for help, the ship and its 22 crew were rescued 15 hours later, while five armed attackers were neutralized.

In the statement made by the US Department of Defense, it was stated that the attackers were Somali pirates.

The attacks are not limited to these. On 25 and 30 November 2023, two Iranian ships were attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia’s Putland region.

LIKE THE EAST OF AFRICA, THE WEST IS ALSO VIBRANT

The intense pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, especially since the early 2000s, have even been the subject of movies and caused disruptions in maritime trade, which is the most important pillar of world trade.

Attacks off the coast of Somalia have decreased significantly in recent years after a group of states, including Turkey, sent warships to the region.

Of course, piracy activities are not only limited to the coasts of Somalia.

Especially off the coast of the Gulf of Guinea countries in West Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin, are among the places where piracy incidents occur from time to time.

Again, although not as much as the coasts of Somalia and West Africa, the Singapore Strait (around Malacca), the coasts of Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, South India, Haiti, Mexico and Peru are among the regions where pirate attacks occur from time to time.

THERE ARE SOMEONE WHO MISSED THE SHIP, AND THERE IS ONLY THE ONE WHO TAKES THE MONEY

The nature of the attacks also varies by region. In countries where state authority is weak, such as Somalia, pirates can even take the ships they raid to their own shores.

While sitting at the bargaining table, they put forward the condition of leaving both the crew and the ship.

On the West African coast, pirates kidnap the crew instead of hijacking the ship, as the state authority is partially higher than in Somalia.

They demand a ransom from the company they are affiliated with, on condition that the crew they took to the villages where they hid are released.

Another area where piracy activities are seen is the 805 km narrow Strait of Malacca located between the West Malaysian peninsula, Singapore and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

If the pirates in some fishing villages around this strait somehow manage to board the ship, they take the money and portable valuables they find inside and kidnap them without much time.

S135 SAILORS WERE KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES IN 2020 ONLY

To look at the numbers, according to the 2019 report of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), there were 162 pirate attacks worldwide, and this number increased to 195 in 2020.

While 135 sailors were kidnapped in the attacks in 2020, it was observed that 95 percent of the kidnapping cases were in the Gulf of Guinea and these attacks were carried out by pirates, mainly in Nigeria.

Of course, these attacks also have an economic cost. According to ICC data, the economic damage from attacks in the Gulf of Guinea alone was announced as 818.1 million dollars in 2020.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THREE ATTACKS IN ONE WEEK?

With the measures taken, attacks especially off the coast of Somalia were reduced. However, the three attacks that took place in almost a week between 25 and 30 November brought to mind the question of whether pirate attacks were on the rise again.

HE BARGAINED WITH NIGERIAN PIRATES AND SAVED TURKISH SAILORS

We asked the latest situation to Lawyer Selçuk Esenyel, who works on maritime law.

Esenyel is a name that had the chance to know the pirates closely.

During the process of releasing 11 sailors from the Turkish ship Paksoy 1, which was attacked by pirates off the coast of West Africa on July 3, 2020, after 28 days of bargaining, he went to the villages where the pirates lived in Nigeria, negotiated on behalf of the company to which the ship is affiliated, rescued the sailors and brought them back to the country.

TURKISH SAILORS WERE KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES IN 2021 TOO

Turkish sailors are also the target of pirates from time to time.

For example, in January 2021, the Liberian-flagged container ship named Mozart, on which Turkish sailors worked, was attacked by pirates the day before in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

The pirates killed an Azerbaijani sailor in the attack and took 15 Turkish sailors hostage and took them to the villages they took over on the coast of Nigeria. The sailors were rescued after a long negotiation process. There have also been Turkish ships attacked off the coast of Somalia in the past.

36 CREW WERE TAKEN HOSTAGE IN 2022

According to the information given by Esenyel, who gave information about the latest situation on pirate attacks, there were 65 pirate attacks in 2022. In 57 of the 65 incidents they were boarded, four were attacked, two were kidnapped and two were shot at.

According to anti-piracy agency ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), in these attacks 36 crew members were taken hostage, 14 were kidnapped, three were threatened, two were injured and one was attacked.

CASES INCREASED IN THE GULF OF GUINEA AND SINGAPORE STRAIT

The IMB noted the resurgence of cases recorded in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea and the increase in cases in the Singapore Straits.

The Gulf of Guinea has witnessed an increase in marine incidents between Q1 and Q2 of 2023, with five in the first quarter and nine in the second quarter. Of these, 12 were classified as armed robbery and two as piracy, mainly targeting ships anchored in the area. Large ships transiting the Singapore Strait continue to be targeted and boarded, with a significant 25% increase in reported incidents compared to the same period last year.

THERE IS A DECREASE IN ATTACKS OFF INDONESIA

According to Esenyel, the IMB reports a steady decline in incidents in the Indonesian archipelago region compared to the years before 2020, with seven incidents recorded. South and Central American ports accounted for 14% of global incidents, with 13 incidents reported.

SOMALIA PIRATES ARE MOVING AGAIN

Esenyel noted that the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, namely the places where Somali pirates are active, are the points where pirate attacks have been concentrated recently and said, “Of course, global developments can cause insecurity at some regional points. “There was a relative increase in attacks on commercial ships in 2023.” said.

TURKISH WARSHIPS ALSO FIGHTED PIRATES

“What precautions can be taken?” Esenyel reminded that in recent years, ships of the Turkish Navy have also intervened in the Gulf of Aden region for Turkish ships experiencing difficulties due to piracy activities, and continued as follows:

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WERE ALSO ESTABLISHED WITH PIRATE GROUPS

“In fact, communication channels were established with pirate groups in the region during these processes, and attacks, especially off the coast of Sudan-Somalia, gradually slowed down and decreased. “Now there are movements at other points close to that region.”

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS A MUST

Reminding that stable and strong regional countries should first establish maritime trade security here, Esenyel said, “International organizations such as NATO, UN, EU, especially Turkey, and countries with strong naval and air power and intelligence channels should also support these states.”

“SHE SHOULD NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH PIRATES”

Referring to the importance of commercial maritime for the world, Esenyel said, “Negotiations with terrorists and pirates should never be made. However, our President can also take the initiative in this matter; “Necessary steps must be taken by obtaining an international consensus,” he said and explained these steps as follows:

THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD IN THE SHORT TERM IS DETECTION AND DESTRUCTION OF LEADERSHIP STAFF

“Pirate or terrorist organizations actually feed on the masses affected by existing simple problems. Issues that hurt humanity, such as unemployment, hunger, refugee problem, drugs, human trafficking, arms trade, are generally carried out in underdeveloped countries by people from developed countries. A man who has no food and is unable to feed his children at home commits both piracy and terrorism. A man in unemployment, poverty and despair will not hesitate if they go by boat and attack commercial ships. Therefore, an international initiative should identify the regions used in this sense and develop medium and long-term projects there. “In the short term, the most effective method is to monitor, capture or destroy the leadership.”

“INTERNATIONAL SECURITY NETWORK SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED”

In addition, Esenyel stated that risky areas should be constantly monitored, safe channels should be kept open by using communication and intelligence opportunities, and concluded his words by saying, “Perhaps in some cases, an international security network should be established by establishing security stations on some ship routes.” (Bosses World)