Turkish forces defused a stray naval mine floating in the Bosporus on Saturday, in an incident that came days after Russia issued warnings on stray mines floating in the Black Sea amid its war with Ukraine.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar described the object, first discovered by fishermen in the northern Bosporus, as an old type of mine and said he was in touch with both Russian and Ukrainian authorities about it.
A Reuters witness heard a loud bang off the coastal village of Rumelifeneri, where naval vessels and military planes and helicopters were active. A minehunter ship was also headed to the area from Istanbul, according to a second Reuters witness.
"The mine, determined to be an old type, was neutralized by our team ... and naval forces continue their vigilant work," Akar said in a televised statement.
Meanwhile, Turkish news outlets reported later in the day that another mine was spotted in the same area, and crews from the Underwater Defense Group (SAS) Command have been dispatched to locate and difuse the object.
Fishermen first spotted the object near a docking area and reported it to the coast guard, which sent radio warnings to vessels in the area, the Directorate General of Coastal Safety told Reuters.
Earlier, the coast guard had warned vessels to stay away from the round object bobbing on the waves, and a dive team initially moved in to investigate.
The Bosporus, a key trade channel connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, had been closed due to the suspected mine risk between 11:25 a.m. (8:25 a.m. GMT) and 3:15 p.m., an official from the Directorate of Coastal Safety told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) over the phone.
Several vessels, including oil tankers and cargo ships, had to remain on hold at both entrances during that time, according to the directorate website. An average of more than 40,000 ships cross the 33-kilometer (21-mile) strait every year, according to the directorate.
Meanwhile, the agriculture minister said that "all kinds of fishing activities" at nighttime were banned in Turkish waters along the south-western Black Sea, citing security reasons.
Fishing "from sunset to sunrise" along the sea from Bulgaria to the northwestern Turkish coastline, including the Bosporus' Black Sea entrance, is suspended until further notice, it said on Twitter.
Turkey shares Black Sea borders with Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow invaded last month.
Russia's main intelligence agency said on Monday that several mines had drifted out to sea after breaking off from cables near Ukrainian ports, a claim dismissed by Kyiv as disinformation and an attempt to close off parts of the sea.
The Black Sea is a major shipping artery for grain, oil and oil products. It is connected to the Marmara and then Mediterranean seas via the Bosporus, which runs through the heart of Istanbul – Turkey's largest city with 16 million residents – and then the Dardanelles further southwest.
Asked about the possible risk of mines reaching Turkish waters, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this week said necessary measures were being taken.
Earlier this month, Ankara restricted access to the straits for all warships apart from those registered in Black Sea ports in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the Turkish Straits connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. While trade ships may pass the strait freely in peacetime, battleships face certain restrictions.