Turkish authorities have announced that ship traffic in the Bosphorus Strait has been suspended

Officials said the decision was made because of difficult navigation conditions that have affected visibility and made it unsafe for ships to pass through.

They explained that the suspension is temporary and is part of precautionary measures usually taken in situations like this to avoid accidents, such as ships colliding or running aground—especially since the strait is narrow and very busy.

According to reports, the main reason for stopping traffic is heavy fog covering large parts of the strait, which has reduced visibility to dangerous levels.

Fog in areas like this isn’t just a normal weather condition—it’s actually one of the most dangerous factors affecting navigation, particularly in narrow and winding waterways like the Bosphorus, where ships rely heavily on what they can see, along with their navigation systems.

When visibility drops, the risk of ships crashing into each other increases, and it becomes harder to avoid drifting toward the shore or to coordinate between vessels. That’s why the suspension is seen as a preventive step to reduce potential risks.

The Bosphorus Strait is one of the busiest waterways in the world, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, with hundreds of commercial ships and energy tankers passing through it every day.