Dec 21, 1999 - 01:21 PM

Turkey to Close Bosporus Over New Year's, Fears Natural Gas Cutoff By Suzan Fraser Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The strategic Bosporus and Dardanelles straits that link the Mediterranean and Black seas will be closed to large tankers over New Year's to avoid the risk of shipwrecks from the millennium bug. Authorities also said that Turkey, heavily dependent on Y2K laggard Russia for natural gas, was making contingeny plans for possible energy shortages.

All vessels longer than 660 feet and tankers that displace more than 3,000 tons and carry crude oil, liquefied natural gas or other hazardous materials will be barred from the narrow Bosporus and Dardanelles, the undersecretariat for maritime affairs said Tuesday.

The ban will apply even if the vessels have documents certifying that their systems are Y2K compliant, the agency added. Smaller vessels that wish to navigate the straits' tricky currents will have to show documents proving their systems are Y2K compliant.

The government is worried about a possible breakdowns in computers controlling ship steering, navigation, propulsion, communications and even fire alarms. Old uncorrected systems could fail during the rollover to 2000, because they read years with two digits, and crash or scramble data.

The Bosporus, a half-mile wide at its narrowest, divides the city of Istanbul, home to 12 million people, and Turkey fears spills or ships veering toward houses on shore.

Turkey is also bracing for possible loss of heat or power due to the millennium bug.

The natural gas that heats many Turkish homes and powers some electric plants is shipped from Russia through Ukraine and Moldova, countries that may not have taken adequate steps to avert Y2K-related problems.

"We may not be able to cook meals and may have to sit in the dark covered in blankets," said Behcet Envarli, president of Turkey's Data Processing Association, which has been monitoring the country's Y2K readiness.

Last month, the government was forced to cut the power supply to the capital, Ankara, for two hours a day to save energy because of a drop in the supply of natural gas from Russia.

And although Turkey's financial sector has announced that it is Y2K compliant, the Istanbul's Stock Exchange will not trade shares between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3 to prevent any possible disruptions.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 21, 1999