New video—footage from the ill-fated ship that sank off the coast of Kyrenia reveals a great deal about the conditions under which the Filo Jet passenger speedboat was operating, three months before the deadly shipwreck. The video, dated May 16, shows water entering the vessel during the voyage, while passengers can be heard expressing concern about the situation.
“A lot of water is coming in; it’s coming from below.” Passenger
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“It’s nothing, sir, go ahead—don’t get wet. There’s more coming.” Crew member
Suspicious history
The 43-meter-long passenger ferry was built in 2000 in France under the name IRIS JET and was purchased that same year by a Spanish company operating in the Balearic Islands. Three years later, it was chartered by the Turkish company Meltem Denizcilik to operate on the Tasouzi–Kyrenia route. That point in time marked the beginning of a series of events that may be related to the horrific shipwreck.
A few months later, the catamaran struck a dock while maneuvering and began taking on water. It remained decommissioned and out of active service for years due to debts, and in 2017, it passed into Greek hands. Now owned by Irisjet Maritime, it was transported to Perama for repairs. In 2024, the catamaran changed hands again. It was acquired by Filo Denizcilik and rejoined the Tasouzu–Kyrenia route. The vessel was reportedly inspected as recently as last June.
“Maintenance on the vessel was carried out two months ago, and it was inspected by Turkish Lloyd in Istanbul.”
The postponement of the voyage
The Filo Jet’s departure was originally scheduled for Saturday. The departure was ultimately postponed to Sunday due to bad weather. Despite improved conditions on Sunday, the Meteorological Service had issued a warning forecasting stormy conditions in the area, with winds reaching up to 8 Beaufort. The Filo Jet’s class certificate, issued as recently as June 2, explicitly prohibits departure when waves exceed three meters in height and sets clear speed limits.
The Fatal Voyage
The Express passenger ferry, owned by Filo Jet, finally departed from the port of Kyrenia at 11:58 a.m. Its destination was the port of Tasouzi (Seleucia) at 5:52 p.m. Twenty-five minutes after departure, the catamaran was struck repeatedly by waves, causing the bow to break and water to begin flooding in. The Filo Jet continued on its course despite warnings from passengers that water was entering from the bottom of the vessel.
“Even though we told them many times, the crew didn’t listen to us; they didn’t turn back, they didn’t slow down. They told us it was normal for the ship to take on water.” Survivor
When the ship finally slowed down and attempted to change course, it listed heavily and eventually capsized, 6 kilometers off the coast of Kyrenia.
Certified in Honduras
Eight crew members have been arrested in connection with the shipwreck, including the captain, Jet, Mustafa Öz, who is listed as holding a certification issued in Honduras and having 25 years of experience
“The captain said he has the necessary licenses and certificates, and regarding the sinking of the ship, he said that the ship’s bow suddenly broke due to the waves and that he didn’t know why it sank.”
Amid the avalanche of developments on Turkish television, conspiracy theories about sabotage are being presented, prompted by reports of a possible explosion on the ship.
“The possibility of sabotage is real. Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ are going through a very critical period.”
Authorities in the occupied territories are denouncing price gouging by Turkish airlines following the suspension of ferry services from Kyrenia. They claim that the cost of airline tickets from the illegal airport in Tymbou to Turkey has skyrocketed.
Watch the report by Christoforos Nestoros
