ANKARA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The crew of a Turkish tanker that sunk off Sri Lanka will return to Turkey next week, officials of the Turkish Transportation Ministry said on Friday.

    Nineteen crew members of a Turkish-flagged tanker that sunk off Sri Lanka the previous day would depart Sri Lanka for Turkey on April 14, the officials were quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency.

    A Turkish-flagged chemical tanker "GRANBA" started to sink off Sri Lanka on Monday after the sulfuric acid it was carrying melted the tanks.

    Sri Lankan authorities evacuated Turkish crew members from the tanker, and the crew were in stable condition and staying at a hotel near the port.

    The tanker totally sank 50 miles off Trincomalee port the previous day.