Azerbaijani and Turkish tankers send distress call off Istanbul coast

An emergency distress call was issued by two oil tankers flying the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags off the coast of Florya in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, Azernews reports, citing Turkish media outlets.

The incident occurred at around 11:50 a.m. local time in waters off Florya, on Istanbul’s European side. For reasons that have not yet been disclosed, the two tankers sent out emergency signals, prompting an immediate response from maritime authorities.

According to Turkish media outlets, rescue and salvage teams affiliated with the Turkish Coast Guard Authority were swiftly dispatched to the scene. Officials confirmed that operations are ongoing, though no further details regarding the cause of the emergency or the condition of the vessels have been released so far.

Aerial images of the tankers taken during the response highlighted the scale of the operation underway in the busy maritime corridor.