Italian Defense Minister Guido Cruzito announced on Friday the success of the intervention of his country's forces to free a Turkish ship seized by irregular migrants.
Crozito confirmed on Twitter that "the hijackers of the ship were arrested, everything ended well."
Italian media reported that special forces carried out an airdrop on the ship using two helicopters, while police carried out a naval landing operation in the Gulf of Naples.
Earlier yesterday, Cruzetto announced the intervention of special forces to rescue a Turkish ship hijacked by migrants, while sailing to France, off the coast of Naples in the Mediterranean.
Speaking at a forum, Crozito said irregular migrants had seized the Turkish vessel.
The minister did not provide details on how the migrants managed to board the ship or their countries of origin, but said there were 15 migrants, two or three of whom were armed.
They detained the ship's 22 crew members, and then special forces stationed at Brindisi intervened.
Local media reported that the nationalities of the migrants were unknown, and that special forces intervened at the request of the ship's members hiding in a closed room.
For its part, the Directorate of Navigation of the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said in a statement that the cargo ship Galata Seawise sailed from the Turkish port of Yalova heading to the port of Sete, France.
The Directorate of Navigation added that it had received a report from the ship's crew stating that there were 15 infiltrators on board, likely carrying sharp objects, according to camera recordings.
It said in a statement Friday that the ship's crew told it they hid in the engine and living rooms to protect themselves from intruders.
She pointed out that after talks with the ship's captain and company officials, it was decided to change the ship's destination from France to the Italian city of Naples, after the approval of the Italian authorities.
She pointed out that the Italian authorities requested the ship's security plan and other documents, provided that the Italian security units take over the task of intercepting the ship, which sailed after the accident to the city of Naples (south).
La Repubblica newspaper suggested the attackers wanted to reach Europe and boarded the ship surreptitiously in Turkey before the crew found out.
A government source said the attackers may have been migrants, but it was not immediately possible to know where or when they boarded the ship.
The Turkish-flagged Galata Seawise sailed from Topcular on June 7 to Sete, southern France, and will arrive on Saturday, according to Italian media, with a crew of 22.
Two Italian navy helicopters were involved in the operation, as well as the coast guard and customs police.
Deputy Speaker Giorio Moli congratulated the forces who "secured a Turkish ship sailing in Italian territorial waters after a group of gunmen diverted it."