A passenger ship was wrecked at noon on Sunday off Kyrenia, shortly after leaving the city's port. In the latest update on the progress of the investigations, the so-called "Minister of Public Works and Transport" of the pseudo-state, Erhan Arikli, announced that the death toll from the tragedy has increased to 8, while 18 people are still missing. So far, 241 people have been rescued.
Earlier, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, said that the rescued passengers were immediately taken to hospitals and, according to the information he received from the authorities, their health condition does not appear to be serious.
In addition, he called on citizens to avoid speculation, underlining that there is no injured person who is in critical condition.
He also said that the ship is at a depth of more than 500 meters, noting that search and rescue operations are being carried out in areas near sea level.
The "Minister of Tourism" of the pseudo-state, Fikri Ataoglou, announced that a ship from Turkey is expected to arrive in the area, probably on Tuesday, in order to assist in the search for the 18 missing persons from the maritime tragedy off the coast of Kyrenia.
According to Ataoglou, the searches will be carried out at a depth of about 500 meters, with the aim of locating the missing. As he mentioned, the operations will continue on Monday morning.
The "prime minister" of the occupied territories, Unal Ustel, said that the ship capsized after being hit by two waves in succession.
"The ship was due to travel to Turkey Saturday, but departed Sunday due to weather conditions," TRT reported, citing Ustel.
According to him, while the ship was at sea, it was hit by a first wave and, while the captain was trying to bring the boat back, a second wave followed, as a result of which water began to flow into the ship.
Three aircraft, four drones, six helicopters, four Coast Guard vessels, a missile boat, a frigate and a patrol ship are participating in the operations from Turkey.
From the occupied territories, four "coast guard" boats, two helicopters, a missile boat and a patrol ship are participating, as well as teams of "civil defense" and "police".
In the meantime, the pseudo-state declared three days of mourning, in the aftermath of today's inconceivable tragedy.
This is the passenger Express, owned by the company Filo Jet, which was about two kilometers away from the port of Kyrenia when it capsized. According to the Turkish Cypriot website Kıbrıs Postası, the incident took place about three miles off Kyrenia, while a total of 267 people were on board.
According to information published by the BBC citing Marine Traffic, the Filo Jet boat is a high-speed vessel flying the Turkish flag. It is 40 meters long and 10 meters wide. He seems to have departed from the port of Kyrenia in the occupied territories at 11:58. Its destination was the port of Tasucu (Seleucia) of Mersin in southern Turkey, where it was expected to arrive at 17:52 local time.
The company that manages the capsized passenger boat says it is "deeply saddened by the tragic accident". Filo says that after the capsizing of the vessel, named Filo Jet, it mobilized all available means to coordinate with search and rescue teams. The company also notes that an information hotline has been set up, through which relatives of passengers can receive information.
Reuters
The JCCC announced that on August 30, 2026 at 12:13 p.m., it received a distress signal that the passenger ship "FILIO JET" flying the flag of Turkey, while it was at a distance of 5 n.m. north of Kyrenia, was in danger.
"From the first moment, the JCCC communicated, through the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the competent Bi-communal Committee, requesting that it be conveyed to the Turkish Cypriot side that the JCCC is ready to undertake the Search and Rescue operation with E-D aeronautical means with the sole priority of saving human life at sea. The Turkish Cypriot side has currently stated that it does not need the assistance of the JCC," the statement said.
The captain and crew members were arrested
It is noted that the captain of the ship and seven crew members were arrested for the tragedy and have been taken into custody.
Arikli said the ship has ended up at the bottom of the sea, at a depth of 514 meters, and added that a specially equipped vessel is expected to arrive in the area from Turkey, as well as divers, in order to assist in the search.
Meanwhile, "Prime Minister" Unal Ustel announced that an investigation has been launched to examine all aspects of the incident and that the ship's captain and seven crew members have been "detained".
Describing the incident as "the worst maritime tragedy Cyprus has ever experienced", Oustel noted that, "every aspect of this incident will be investigated. Even the slightest negligence will be revealed. There will be no leniency for anyone found to be responsible or has committed an omission."
He also announced that a search and rescue ship of the Turkish Navy, which has the ability to carry out searches at a depth of up to 1.000 meters, was expected to arrive in the occupied territories.
Estimates and question marks
Turkish maritime expert and academic, Sienol Cialishkan told a Turkish channel that catamaran-type boats are usually quite difficult to sink, but drew attention to the possibilities of technical malfunctions, damage to the ship and/or cracks, which were not noticed in time, noting yesterday's bad weather that hit the area.
He added that the ship tilted very quickly instead of sinking slowly and this should be investigated.
Turkish maritime law expert Emmetye Güziutgüzeli told Turkish state channel TRT that the investigation should not only focus on the causes of the ship's sinking, but also on the process of evacuating the ship, whether the watertight doors were working, the suitability of the ship's hull, the distribution of passengers and cargo, certifications and inspections, as well as the use of lifeboats and lifeboats.
He also emphasized that one of the most critical points is whether the necessary systems for the evacuation of the 267 people on board were activated in a timely and correct manner. He stressed the need to take into account the testimonies of witnesses along with the technical and legal findings.
Turkish Cypriot journalists also began to ask questions publicly about the shipwreck yesterday, criticizing the "Minister of Transport", Erhan Arikli. The director of the Bugyun Kipris website, Aysemden Akin, wrote that initially this particular catastrophe was not given permission to sail yesterday due to bad weather, but an hour later the approval was finally given and the ship sank off Kyrenia.
The journalist points out that the "ports department" is under the "minister of transport" and it is Erhan Arikli who has to answer the question of why the license was finally granted.
"Who changed the original decision 'cannot sail'? Who signed the port departure document for Filo Jet? What information was this decision based on? Erhan Arikli cannot simply say 'The ship was inspected two months ago!' He is obliged to disclose to the public the route permit, inspection reports and the port departure document issued on the day of the tragedy!", he wrote.
Meanwhile, another website reports that the catamaran, now called FILO JET, was also used for routes between Turkey and the occupied territories 23 years ago under the name IRIS JET. The identity of the ship remains the same: IMO 8962034.
The article refers to a decision of the French Court of Cassation dated March 10, 2009, according to which the IRIS JET was operated by Meltem Sea Buses for the transport of passengers between Turkey and the occupied territories. In 2003, the catamaran hit a dock during a maneuver in the port and a few days later, it had begun to pour water on a route between Turkey and the occupied territories. For the incident there was a dispute and legal dispute between the insurance company and the ship-owning company at the time.
The ship later changed owners, flag, was renovated and 23 years later through Filo jet operates the same route.
Another Turkish Cypriot journalist, Aysu Basri Akter, wrote that the catamaran named FiloJet, with IMO number 8962034, is 26 years old. It was made in France and has a rather complicated history, he says as it has changed flags many times: it had flags of Spain, Greece, the Caribbean, Panama. It was confiscated and towed to a shipyard, where it remained for 4 years and then underwent extensive repairs.
Akter cites publicly accessible data online and notes that from its construction in 2000 to 2024, the ship used the name Iris Jet. Classification records, which are extremely important in shipping – he explains – are also complex and gives as an example that the ship appears to have been removed from the Russian Maritime Register, but the exact date is unclear. There are no later records, he writes and states that this is the first information available saying that answering the questions raised is crucial, as is investigating the numerous allegations involving the ship.
