Second Roman Abramovich superyacht now heading for Turkey

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A second superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was spotted approaching the Turkish coast on Tuesday.

Ship tracking data showed the vessel heading towards the tourist resort of Marmaris a day after a yacht linked to the Chelsea FC owner docked in Bodrum in the country's south-west.

The yacht Eclipse was heading in the direction of Marmaris, about three kilometres from the port after cruising south-east of the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes, data compiled by monitoring site Marine Traffic, seen by Reuters, showed.

The data also showed the superyacht Solaris remained moored in Bodrum, some 80km away, having skirted the waters of EU countries that have sanctioned the oligarch over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

There was no indication that Abramovich was on board either of the vessels. He was among several wealthy Russians added last week to an EU blacklist as governments have acted in recent days to seize yachts and other luxury assets from them.

World governments are seeking to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation".

The 'Eclipse' superyacht, owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, has been relocated to avoid EU sanctions. Reuters

Last week, Mr Abramovich flew into Moscow after leaving Istanbul in his private jet. According to flight-tracking data it was a second trip by a jet linked to Mr Abramovich between the Turkish city and the Russian capital in three days.

A representative for Mr Abramovich did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

The 140-metre Solaris docked in Bodrum on Monday afternoon, slightly more than a week after it left Montenegro's Adriatic resort town of Tivat on March 13.

Since then the vessel, which sails under a Bermuda flag according Marine Traffic, had tracked south and rounded the Greek island of Crete in recent days before reaching Turkish waters on Monday morning.

Also on Monday, a luxurious superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Dmitrievich Pumpyansky was detained by authorities after docking in Gibraltar.

Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history

Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.

Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)

A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.

Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)

Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.

Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)

Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.