Giant oil tankers lined up at both ends until thefog lifted in midafternoon. The closing came three weeks after a Norwegian tanker carrying 30,000 tons of crude oil ran aground almost directly in front of a Bosporus mansion owned by former Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. Like most of the loaded tankers that use the waterway, it was headed for western Europe from a Russian port on the Black Sea. This time, no cargo spilled. Both episodes underlined growing fears here that, as huge amounts of oil and gas begin flowing from the Caspian Sea basin, tanker traffic through the Bosporus is reaching dangerous levels.
Environmentalists fear the possibility of major oil spills or a catastrophic explosion.
There have been more than 150 mishaps along the Bosporus in the last decade. In one of the most serious, an oil tanker collided with another vessel in 1994, resulting in the death of 28 seamen and a 15,000-ton oil spillage that burst into a spectacular fire. Some Turks believe these are only hints of what could come if the number of tankers passing through each day increases substantially from the current 10 or 12. The city of Istanbul is built right up to the shore on both sides. The vessels that pass through are increasing in size and number, and many of them are carrying lethal cargo.