ANKARA, Oct 30 , SPA -- Pirates have hijacked a Turkish shipwith 20 crew members off the coast of Somalia, AP quoted officialsas saying Thursday. The M/V Yasa Neslihan freighter was boarded in the Gulf ofAden on Wednesday, the International Maritime Bureau inMalaysia said, confirming news reports in Turkey. Noel Choong, a bureau official, said pirates alsoattempted to hijack an Italian-operated general cargo shipwith 26 crew on Tuesday in the same area but that itmanaged to escape with unspecified aggressive maneuvers. «Pirate attacks are still continuing in the region,despite additional security measures. It is worrying,»Choong told The Associated Press. Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said the YasaNeslihan _ which is registered in the Marshall Islands butmanaged and operated in Turkey _ was carrying iron ore fromCanada to China. Turkey asked NATO forces to help end the hijacking offSomalia, an area where pirates often attack ships, Anatoliasaid. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/602790