'No hope': Indian crew stranded off Turkey for months

AI Summary

Four Indian sailors have been stranded for 10 months on an abandoned container ship near Istanbul due to maritime rules requiring the ship to be manned. Their predicament follows the arrest of the alleged owners in a large international drug bust, leaving the crew trapped without resolution.

Four Indian sailors have been stranded for months on an abandoned container ship off Istanbul, unable to leave under maritime rules requiring the vessel to remain manned, inspectors said on Friday. In a message sent to AFP, the stranded crew members said they were losing hope after 10 months trapped on board the Mongolia-flagged AZRA C that has been moored in the Sea of Marmara since August 2025. The ship's purported owners were arrested in January in connection with a massive international drugs bust, leaving its fate and those on board in limbo.