ANKARA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The owner company of the Turkish ship, which was hijacked off Yemen coast two weeks ago, said it is close to a deal with the pirates, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported Tuesday.

    "We have talked to pirates a couple of times so far. They said they captured the ship, and they asked for ransom," Kubilay Marangoz, lawyer of YDC Maritime company, was quoted as saying.

    "Later, they told us the amount of the ransom and we began bargaining. At this point, we are close to a deal with the pirates," Marangoz said.

    He said all crew members on board were in good condition and they have all spoken to their families in Turkey.

    "We want to get back our ship without any unfortunate incidents. We prefer an agreement instead of an armed intervention," he added.

    The Turkish tanker "Karagol" with 14 crew members on board was hijacked on Nov. 12. off the coast of Yemen while transporting 4,500 tons of chemicals from Israel to Mumbai in India, said the report.

    The Karagol was the second Turkish-owned vessel to be seized in the Gulf of Aden after the M/V Yasa Neslihan was captured on Oct. 29.

    Piracy is common in the Gulf of Aden between coasts of Yemen and northern Somalia, preying on a key maritime route leading to Egypt's Suez Canal, one of the most important international waterways linking Europe and Asia.