The transport ministry and the navigation agency said on Tuesday that sea service between the Aegean and Marmara seas has been suspended due to an ongoing forest fire in Turkey’s northwestern province of Canakkale.

“Traffic through the Dardanelles was suspended in both directions on Tuesday at 18:45 (Romanian time) due to the intervention of aircraft in a forest fire in the region to safely take water from the sea,” the maritime ministry said. agency Tribeca, reports Reuters and News.ro.

The Dardanelles Strait, a narrow and historically important passage connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of ​​Marmara, serves as a vital sea route for ships traveling between Europe and Asia.

According to Tribeca, 15 northbound ships and 19 southbound ships were stuck on both sides of the waterway. The agency said one of the northbound vessels and five of the southbound vessels were of considerable size, exceeding 200 meters in length.

Larger ships will wait for passage until Wednesday morning, allowing them to navigate the strait during the day. The maritime agency explained that the departure of the smaller ships was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

“Tugs are ready to intervene if the fire approaches the seashore, providing additional support to ongoing firefighting operations,” the Turkish transport ministry said in a statement.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said the forest fire had caused the evacuation of six villages in its path.