Turkey prevented German forces belonging to an EU military mission carrying out a full search of a Turkish cargo ship that they suspected of taking weapons to Libya, both countries confirmed on Monday.

Soldiers from the frigate Hamburg boarded the Turkish freighter, the Rosaline A, on Sunday, but had to abandon checks and withdraw after Turkey protested to the EU mission, the German defence ministry said.

The frigate was operating in the Mediterranean as part of the EU’s Irini mission, which aims to stop arms reaching warring factions in Libya.