NO MUTINY STAGED ON RUSSIAN SHIP - CROATIAN GENERAL CONSUL

ANKARA, Jan 13 (Hina) - There had been no mutiny staged by the 14-member Croatian crew on the Russian freight ship "Ivan Cernih", which was anchored several miles from the Bosporus strait, Croatian General Consul to Istanbul, Boris Mitrovic, said after taking a tour of the ship and talks he held with the Croatian crew. Mitrovic said that the crew had not locked the ship's commander in a cabin, adding that the whole dispute had not arisen because of salaries, but because of contradictory business interests. The old privately-owned Russian ship was repaired in the Rijeka (Croatia) ship yard "Viktor Lenac" in 1995. However, as his owner did not have the money to pay for the ship's US$ 650,000-worth renovation, a Swiss company, AMOS, with an office in the central Adriatic town Opatija, drafted a contract on their use of the ship until the year 2002. After seven badly completed tasks, a Croatian crew was substituted for the Russian crew, after which the ship completed 21 voyages successfully. Problems arose when the captain changed the course without an explanation and headed towards the Russian Black Sea harbour of Novorosisk. Members of the Croatian crew had persuaded the commander of the ship to take the former course, a representative of AMOS, Vladimir Petercic, said. At that point the Turkish coast guard intercepted the ship which tried to pass through the Bosporus strait without an expert pilot. In the meantime, the ship's Russian owner asked for a change in the mainly Croatian crew (only three members of the crew are Russians). Although the "Ivan Cernih" is sailing under a Russian flag, the AMOS company has in its possession a contract on its use of the ship until the year 2002. The final decision on the whole case is to be reached by competent Turkish authorities. (hina) lm jn 131656 MET jan 97