Sailors freed by pirates in Africa return to Turkey

Fifteen Turkish sailors who were kidnapped by pirates off west Africa last month returned to Turkey on Sunday.

The freed hostages were welcomed at Istanbul Airport by their families and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu after 21 days in captivity, Anadolu news agency said.

The Liberian-flagged M/V Mozart was sailing from Lagos, Nigeria, to Cape Town, South Africa, when it was attacked on Jan. 23 about 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) northwest of the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe.One crew member, an Azerbaijani national, died during the attack.Three other Turkish sailors who were left aboard the Mozart returned to Turkey last month.

The crew were held under armed guard in tough conditions in a forest before being released and flown back from the Nigerian capital Abuja.Apart from the psychological stress of their captivity, none of the seamen were harmed.No details of their release has been provided and it was not known if a ransom was paid.The Gulf of Guinea, off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon, is the most dangerous sea in the world for piracy, according to the International Maritime Bureau.