Aircraft Carrier Is Unwelcome In Bosphorous Straits

Turkey said on Tuesday it would bar the passage of a large, decommissioned aircraft carrier through Istanbul's busy Bosphorus straits after China said it wanted to convert into a floating pleasure center.

"Passage of such a massive vessel would pose a serious threat for the city, for people, for the strait itself," said the head of the Istanbul Maritime office.

"We are on alert against any other possible attempt by the vessel to pass the Bosphorus," he continued.

He said the 1,003 ft. (306.5 m) Varyag, purchased from Ukraine, had been denied passage out into the Mediterranean several times since July and had been escorted out of Turkish waters into the Black Sea where it is currently floating.