▁of ▁iron ▁ore . ▁The ▁owner ▁company ▁learned ▁about ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁through ▁vessel ' s ▁alarm ▁system . ▁NAT O ▁war ships ▁followed ▁the ▁hij ack ed ▁ship ▁from ▁a ▁distance , ▁made ▁however ▁no ▁attempt ▁to ▁interven e . ▁The ▁pir ates ▁did ▁not ▁contact ▁the ▁owner ▁to ▁make ▁any ▁request ▁before ▁the ▁ship ▁anch ored . ▁The ▁ship - owner ▁received ▁information ▁from ▁NAT O ▁only ▁about ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁coordinates . ▁ ▁Fe h mi ▁Ul gener , ▁the ▁lawyer ▁and ▁the ▁sp okes man ▁of ▁the ▁ship - owner , ▁said ▁at ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 ▁that ▁" the ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁called ▁us ▁and ▁said ▁their ▁ship ▁anch ored . ▁He ▁said ▁the ▁pir ates ▁treated ▁them ▁well ▁and ▁the ▁crew ▁was ▁in ▁good ▁health ▁condition ". ▁On ▁November ▁ 4 , ▁the ▁sp okes man ▁said ▁the ▁pir ates ▁demanded ▁a ▁r ans om ▁to ▁return ▁the ▁ship ▁and ▁the ▁crew , ▁without ▁dis clos ing ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁r ans om . ▁ ▁On ▁ 6 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁released , ▁Andrew ▁M w ang ura , ▁East ▁Africa ' s ▁Co ordin ator ▁of ▁Se af ar ers ▁Ass istance ▁Program ▁said ▁" G un men ▁have ▁released ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁Turkish ▁ships . ▁The ▁vessel ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁T ues day ▁and ▁I ' m ▁not ▁sure ▁whether ▁r ans om ▁was ▁paid ". ▁ ▁References