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By Libya Herald staff.
Tunis, 2 September 2015:
Turkey has denied that the arms and ammunition seized by Greece aboard a Bolivian freighter . . .[restrict]travelling from Turkey to Misrata were illegal.
The foreign Ministry in Ankara today said that the cargo on board the Haddad 1 consisted of 4,900 “ungrooved hunting rifles” for Libya and 492,000 rounds of handgun ammunition that were for the Sudanese police.
The Haddad 1 was en route from the Turkish port of Iskenderun to Misrata when it was intercepted by Greek customs off the coast of Crete yesterday and is now under guard in Heraklion while the seven-man crew is being questioned.
The Greeks claim that the ship was carrying undeclared weaponry. A full inspection of the freighter’s cargo was taking place today but no statement had been released by this evening.
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tancu Bilgic told the state news service Anadolu that the Haddad 1’s cargo was not illegal. However, Bilgic added: “If the materials are found to be going to recipients other than those declared on the customs declaration and if this information is shared with our authorities, then naturally there are a number of measures that could be taken on the matter”.
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