After the accidents, crisis desks were established in the ports of Kyrenia and Silivri. Tents and awnings were set up at the ports for the relatives of the missing to wait. Developments regarding the accident are immediately conveyed to the families. Relatives who do not leave the port day and night are staring at the sea, waiting for news. However, as time passes, it negatively affects the psychology of the relatives of the missing.
Some say that they believe that a miracle will happen and their children will return to them safely. Some people have lost hope. A mother in Kyrenia cried out, "Give me the dead body of my child." In Silivri, families waited for the news from the sea without leaving the crisis center. Families who frequently had crying fits and fainted were treated in ambulances. AFAD and Red Crescent officials also supported the families at the crisis center.
While the death toll on the 'Filo Jet' cruise ship, which sank off the coast of Kyrenia, has increased to 10, the search for the 18 people who are still missing continues. Families are waiting in tears at the crisis center at the port.
SEARCH WITH SHIPS, AIRPLANES
Search and rescue efforts for the ship named Tuğberk İmamoğlu and its 10-person crew, which is considered to have sunk in a short time of 11 minutes after the accident, continued yesterday. Work was monitored instantly at the crisis center established by the Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate in Silivri.
The work is supported by 18 floating elements, 5 helicopters, 2 UAVs, 1 aircraft and a Naval Forces ship searching under the sea, including the Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Naval Forces, AFAD, Silivri Municipality and Red Crescent. Additionally, according to the statement made by the Ministry of National Defense, 1 UAV, 1 frigate, 2 ships and 1 assault boat were sent to the region. Coast Guard teams and an expert committee boarded the ship named Alsu and inspected the ship.
Relatives of the crew, who occasionally left the crisis center in Silivri and went to the beach, watched the search and rescue efforts at sea with sad eyes.
ALSU'S 2 CAPTAINS WERE ARRESTED
In the Marmara Sea, 18 miles south of Silivri, on September 2, 2026, at around 03:00, the Turkish-flagged commercial ship named Alsu, which went from Kocaeli to Aliağa, and the Turkish-flagged commercial ship named Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which went from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli, collided. Within the scope of the investigation launched by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the accident, 6 of the 10 crew members on the Alsu were taken to the Silivri Courthouse to have their statements taken by the prosecutor's office. The first captain of the ship Alsu, Ahmet Erarslan, and the third captain, Murat Evcimen, who were referred to the court after their statements to the prosecutor's office, were arrested and sent to prison. The other 4 crew members were released under judicial control.
It was learned that the suspects stated in their statements that 2 or 3 of the crew members on the Tuğberk İmamoğlu ship were on the deck before the ship sank. However, no evidence or signs of their escape could be detected. On the other hand, it was learned that divers will inspect the underwater parts of the Alsu ship.
EXPERT WITNESS PRELIMINARY REPORT: 'IF THERE WAS A WATCHER, HE MAY HAVE NOT SINKED'
Within the scope of the investigation into the ship accident carried out by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the preliminary report was revealed after the expert examination on the ship named ALSU. In the report, "If ALSU had followed the 'Watch Condition B' rule in its own safety manual (BMM) and had an experienced captain and an additional watchman on the bridge; Tuğberk İmamoğlu's uncontrolled starboard turn maneuver could have been detected at a distance of 1.5-1.8 miles instead of 0.5 miles, the conflict could have been completely prevented by stopping the machines immediately or giving an emergency astern in accordance with COLREG Rule 8, or the impact severity could have been reduced to a minimum." The statements "Tuğberk İmamoğlu's sinking could have been prevented" attracted attention.
VICE CAPTAIN MERVE NUR SERASLAN: THE CAPTAIN KNEW THAT THE SHIP WAS TAKING WATER
Deputy Captain Merve Nur Seraslan accused Captain Mustafa Öz in the court she appeared for the second time yesterday and said, "He knew that the ship was taking on water, the engine and rudder were damaged, and Taşucu Port was also closed. I said 'don't go out', but we went on a voyage on our own initiative."
The 8 crew members of the cruise ship that sank in Kyrenia and a company official, who were on trial, appeared before the judge for the second time yesterday. Shocking statements were given at the hearing where the crew was tried in the ship disaster, in which 10 people died and 18 missing people were searched in the wreckage 550 meters under the sea off the coast of Kyrenia.
Deputy Captain Merve Nur Seraslan blamed Captain Mustafa Öz and said:
I SAID 'DON'T GO OUT', HE DID NOT LISTEN
"I had information that Taşucu Port would be closed until 15:00 due to the storm the day before. The captain knew that the ship had already taken on water, and we had engine and rudder failure. I said 'Let's not go out', but we took our own initiative and went on a voyage." The police also noted that the first assessment from the statements and images they received was that the ship set off damaged, did not slow down even though it was seen that it was starting to take in water, and that the accident could have been prevented if the captain had slowed down and turned around.
HIS DRIVING LICENSE IS FROM HONDURAS
The police, who conducted the investigation on behalf of the prosecutor's office, shared the information they obtained with the judge. Accordingly, the captain's certificate and driver's license that Captain Öz received from Turkey became invalid due to not being used for 10 years. Then, using the registration number of his old driver's license, he obtained a certificate and driver's license from Honduras for 3500 US dollars. He registered these documents in Greece and 2 years ago, he applied to the TRNC Ministry of Transport with the documents received from Honduras and received a qualification certificate. What the captain did during the process of obtaining a certificate and license is not considered illegal, and his license is also valid.
DOCUMENTS APPEARING OK
Stating that they received more than 200 statements within the scope of the investigation, the police stated that the ship had valid insurance, that there were problems with the balance balancing certificate and radio safety certificate, but that they would investigate whether these documents were needed to go on a voyage. At first glance, there is no problem in the documents submitted to the TRNC regarding the maintenance and inspection of the ship. It is also being investigated whether the technical competence certificate received from Türk Loydu presented to the TRNC is real or not.
The court judge extended the detention period of 9 defendants for 8 more days.
TRNC MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION WITHDRAWED FROM THE GOVERNMENT WHEN HE WAS DISMISSED
Following the ship accident, TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı was dismissed. Arıklı, who is also the leader of the coalition partner Rebirth Party, announced yesterday that they decided to withdraw from the government. At the press conference he held after his dismissal, Arıklı said that they left the government with the decision of the Party Assembly and stated that they would notify Prime Minister Ünal Üstel in writing about their decision.
He thanked Prime Minister Üstel, describing the decision to dismiss him as "It was an opportunity I have been waiting for for two years." Stating that they do not want to hold a political discussion at this stage due to the maritime accident, Arıklı said, "There is a lot to say, but we have losses."
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz met with President Tufan Erhürman in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to pay a condolence visit to those who lost their lives in the disaster that occurred off the coast of Kyrenia. Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the body of one of the 19 people missing in the disaster was found and said, "I would like to state that the number of those who passed away has increased to 10."
LAST SCREEN FROM THE ACCIDENT
During the accident in Kyrenia, the image of Nihat Pancar (51) from Hatay and his last moments on the ship was revealed. In the recording taken by someone with a mobile phone camera while the ship was taking in water, Pancar was seen sitting calmly in his seat.
It was learned that the person who took the video was among the rescued people. The catamaran-type Turkish passenger ship, which departed from TRNC to Mersin's Taşucu Port on August 30, capsized. 10 people died in the accident and 241 passengers were rescued. Search efforts for the 18 missing passengers continue.
