ANKARA

Turkiye on Saturday reopened the Istanbul Strait to ships after briefly closing it due to a suspected mine.

Underwater security teams examined the object and found it to be an old mine and neutralized it, said National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Maritime traffic has safely been opened after coordination with the Turkish Coast Guard and Naval Forces, he said.

Earlier in the day, the Coastal Safety Directorate General said two-way ship traffic had been suspended after a civilian commercial vessel detected a mine-like object.

Commenting on rumors that underwater mines laid by Ukraine to deter Russian attacks in the ongoing war might drift across the Black Sea, Akar said both the Russian and Ukrainian sides had been notified and that coordination is ongoing.