A Turkish-operated crude oil tanker was hit by an explosion likely caused by an unmanned surface vessel in the Black Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Thursday.
Speaking in a live interview, Uraloğlu said, "We believe it was not a drone attack, but an unmanned underwater vehicle."
His remarks came after initial media reports claiming that the vessel, named Altura, was hit by a drone not far from Istanbul's Bosporus.
"It was an externally caused explosion, a deliberate attack specifically aimed at disabling the ship's engine room. None of the 27 Turkish crew members sustained any health problems or injuries," Uraloğlu further said.
He also noted that the technical teams have been dispatched to the scene.
Private broadcaster NTV reported earlier on Thursday that the tanker was hit by a drone some 15 nautical miles from Istanbul's Bosporus, adding that its 27 personnel were safe.
According to Uraloğlu, they received a report of a Sierra Leone-flagged vessel with a Turkish operator being targeted after midnight.
The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel had departed from Russia's port of Novorossiysk carrying crude oil, according to ship-tracking data.
NTV said there was an explosion on the bridge of the ship, owned by Turkish firm Beşiktaş, when it was struck in the Black Sea and that its engine room took on water.
It said the vessel then requested assistance, and a Turkish coast guard vessel, along with an emergency response ship, was dispatched.
