An Istanbul court has issued a warrant for the seizure of a Greek bulker that crashed into a mansion on the Bosporus.
The 74,200-dwt Vitaspirit (built 2001) caused extensive damage to the 18th-century Hekimbası Salih Efendi building on 7 April.
The court ruling arose from an application by the mansion's owner at the 17th Commercial Court of First Instance for a lien to be enforced, the Hurriyet daily reported.
The owner said the building had lost its historical status as a result of the accident.
It also claimed rebuilding costs would be at least $40m to $50m.
The court ruled that the lien will remain in effect until the money is paid.
“For now, a seizure warrant has been ruled for the ship related to the $50m," the newspaper cited the building's owner's lawyers Nazli Selek and Erdal Gokce as saying.
"Currently, the relevant notices are being made to the port authority and coastal safety authorities for the seizure of the ship. The work to determine the extent of the damage is ongoing.”
The bulker is listed in the fleet of Vita Management of Greece, with the incident reported to have closed the waterway in both directions.
Reuters said the ship’s steering had failed. There were no reports of any injuries to the crew or those in the building.
The Vitaspirit is one of seven bulkers listed in the fleet of the Piraeus-based company.
It is currently at anchor in Istanbul.
