The OMAYA cargo ship caused alarm in the Istanbul Strait after veering towards the European shore before returning to its intended route.
The 115-meter-long vessel approaching the shore in the opposite traffic lane caused moments of fear. According to KEGM records, there was a pilot on board the ship.
It headed towards the shore in front of Arnavutköy.
On August 12, 2026, Wednesday, moments of fear were experienced in the Istanbul Strait.
The general cargo ship named OMAYA, which departed from Istanbul to Sulina Port in Romania, deviated from its regular navigation route during its south-north passage through the Strait and headed towards the European side of the coast around 16:15 local time in front of Arnavutköy.
The AIS navigation track obtained by Denizhaber shows that the ship sharply veered westward in the Arnavutköy–Akıntıburnu section towards the opposite traffic lane and significantly approached the shore. After this maneuver, OMAYA turned back north and continued its course.
The AIS navigation track of OMAYA indicates the significant deviation the ship made towards the European side of the coast in front of Arnavutköy–Akıntıburnu.
Tied boats cast off their lines.
According to eyewitness accounts, the approach of the approximately 115-meter-long cargo ship towards the shore caused panic among the boats tied at the coast.
Some boatmen, seeing the ship coming towards them, hurriedly cast off their mooring lines and moved away from the shore to open water.
To determine exactly how close the ship came to the shore and the tied boats, it is necessary to examine the radar records of the Istanbul Vessel Traffic Services.
There was a pilot on board.
The General Directorate of Coastal Safety's Ship Traffic Information System shows OMAYA as 'IN THE STRAIT' as of 15:05 on August 12.
The same record indicates that the ship was piloted during its passage and that no tugboat accompanied the vessel. However, the record does not contain any information regarding the reason for the maneuver in front of Arnavutköy.
The reason for the maneuver is still unknown.
As of the time of publication, there was no information released to the public by the General Directorate of Coastal Safety or the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure regarding why OMAYA deviated from its navigation route.
Although the AIS track shows the deviation in the ship's route over the ground, it does not independently indicate the reason for it. To determine the exact cause of the maneuver, it is necessary to examine VTS radar and VHF communication records, as well as the ship's VDR and ECDIS data.
Around 16:50 local time, the AIS screen showed that OMAYA was again proceeding north at a speed of 5.9 knots, with a ground track of 004 degrees. The ship's draft was reported as 6.6 meters, and its loading condition was 'partially loaded.'
It was heading from Istanbul to Sulina.
According to AIS voyage information, OMAYA departed from Istanbul on August 12 at 12:16 UTC, which is 15:16 local time. The destination of the ship is Sulina Port in Romania, with an estimated arrival time of August 14 at 12:00 UTC.
Information about OMAYA.
According to VesselFinder and MagicPort records, the main details of the ship are as follows:
Ship name: OMAYA
Ship type: General cargo ship
Flag: Comoros
IMO number: 8408648
MMSI number: 620800673
Call sign: D6A4273
Year built: 1984
Overall length: 115.21 meters
Width: 18.60 meters
Gross tonnage: 5,586 GT
Carrying capacity: 8,875 DWT
Registered owner: Tristar Maritime Ltd
Commercial and ISM manager: Future Maritime Co SA
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
