Istanbul, (insidesomalia.org) - the pirates who captured a Turkish-owned ship off Somalia last week have demanded ransom in return for the release of the vessel and its 20-man crew, a company representative said on Tuesday.

"The pirates contacted us and demanded ransom. The amount of the ransom was specified," Fehmi Ulgener, a legal advisor for the Istanbul-based Yasa Company, said on NTV television, declining to reveal the sum the hijackers sought.

The company is considering what action to take, he said, adding that similar incidents off Somalia recently suggest that the pirates would allow them about two months to resolve the issue.

The M/V Yasa Neslihan, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was seized last Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden, with 20 Turkish crewmen on board. It was transporting 77,000 tonnes of iron ore from Canada to China.

The Ankara government has requested help from a NATO naval force, including also a Turkish warship, which launched operations in the area last month to protect ships from pirates.

Piracy is rife and well organised in the area where Somalia's northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal.

The pirates operate high-powered speedboats and are heavily armed, sometimes holding ships for weeks until they are released for large ransoms paid by governments or owners.

Source AFP