Somali pirates on Tuesday hijacked a Turkish ship with a crew of 21, of which 19 are Turkish citizens and two Ukrainians, in the Indian Ocean. The Maltese-flagged MV Frigia was hijacked 1,000 nautical miles east of the northern coast of Somalia, the counter-piracy EU Naval Force (Navfor) Somalia said in a statement. It did not identify the hijackers but said the 35,000-ton ship had been closer to India than Somalia and some 400 nautical miles outside the normal Navfor operation area.

"My men have hijacked a Turkish ship from the Indian Ocean and they are now heading towards me here in Haradheere," a pirate known only as Ali told Reuters by phone from a Somali coastal town, a base for many hijackers. The ship had been sailing east from Port Said to Thailand. However, it now appears to be heading west towards one of the known pirate ports on the coast of Somalia, EU Navfor said.The ship is operated by İzmir-based Karya Maritime Shipping company. Company official Ayhan Uğurlubay said the vessel had departed from Israel on March 14 and was bound for Thailand. However, it now appears to be heading west towards one of the known pirate ports on the coast of Somalia, EU Navfor said.Key facts about piracyGlobally in 2009, there were 406 reported incidents, in which 153 vessels were boarded and 49 hijacked. There were 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels were fired on. A total of 1,052 crewmembers were taken hostage. At least 68 crewmembers were injured and eight were killed.In all, Somali pirates were held responsible for 217 acts of piracy in 2009, in which 47 vessels were hijacked and 867 crewmembers were taken hostage.In 2008, 111 vessels were targeted by Somali pirates, resulting in 42 hijackings. Although the number of incidents almost doubled in 2009, the number of successful hijackings was proportionately less. Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal. The ship is operated by İzmir-based Karya Maritime Shipping company. Company official Ayhan Uğurlubay said the vessel had departed from Israel on March 14 and was bound for Thailand. It was carrying fertilizers. Uğurlubay said the company was unable to communicate with the ship since it sent out a distress signal at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning. He underlined that the ship was hijacked well away from the risk area where pirate attacks are most frequent. When it passed through the dangerous waters, the ship was escorted by two Turkish warships operating in the Gulf of Aden as part of the international anti-piracy force, Uğurlubay told the Anatolia news agency. “The hijacking took place one and a half days after the ship left the warships' escort,” he said.Turkish cargo ships have been hijacked in the past and NATO-member Turkey's warships patrol the Gulf of Aden as part of an international mission to try to prevent piracy, which has surged off the Somali coast in recent years. 24 March 2010, WednesdayTODAY'S ZAMAN WITH REUTERS  İSTANBUL