While the toxic structure aircraft carrier Sao Paulo, formerly known as Foch, is currently in the Atlantic Ocean off the Moroccan town of Tan Tan, Turkish authorities recently banned the vessel from entering its territorial waters. The decision was taken by the Ministry of the Environment on August 26.
It is justified by the absence of a second inspection, which could not be carried out, due to the hasty departure of the vessel, leaving Brazilian territorial waters. This inspection, to be carried out before arrival in Turkey, was to identify the places on the boat where asbestos and other dangerous substances are found, taking photographs of the sampling points. This prompted Turkey to cancel the conditional approval already issued for the Sao Paulo vessel and now preventing it from entering Turkish territorial waters.
An impossibility therefore for Sao Paulo to go to Turkey, even though it remains its one and only destination, according to the elements officially provided so far. According to maritime surveillance data, no change has been recorded so far in the final destination.
The boat, finding itself this morning off Tan Tan, will have to find a docking point or turn back. In addition to its destination, its passage through the Strait of Gibraltar, requiring authorization from Morocco, the United Kingdom and Spain, remains equally uncertain. Several associative voices are still rising to warn about the situation, recalling that a passage through the strait would violate the Basel Convention but also the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the environment and the Mediterranean coast.
As we previously reported, the ship has already entered Moroccan territorial waters, as claimed by Rabat, skirting the coast from Lagouira to Dakhla, before passing through the Canary Islands, and now heading back to Moroccan shores.
Following our first article, Turkish academic sources wondered if the Moroccan authorities were going to react, faced with what looks like an alarming and dangerous situation, both in terms of legality and for environmental considerations.
