Turkey reopens key shipping route after wildfires contained

Turkey re-opened the Dardanelles Strait to ships after a suspension of nearly two days due to wildfires, allowing passage to hundreds of vessels that had been unable to move between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Authorities allowed ships traveling in both directions from 6:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to the Coastal Safety Directorate. The decision came after state media said forest fires raging in Canakkale province were finally under control.

Turkey closed the Dardanelles to ships on Wednesday to clear the area for some 38 planes and helicopters fighting the wildfires. About 250 vessels were waiting to cross the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits as of Thursday morning, according to Mustafa Can, chairman of Istanbul-based maritime transport company Transbosphor. 

Black Sea freight rates have moved up by about 10%, Can said by phone.