In his hometown, Mersin, the funeral was held for 28-year-old Gendarmerie Sergeant Fehri Ates, who lost his life in Sunday’s shipwreck off the coast of Kyrenia, while his wife and child survived. His wife, Aytcia, was present at the funeral.
According to Turkish Cypriot media reports, his father, Yüksel Ates, fainted during the ceremony. Fehri Ates was stationed in Istanbul; he had gone to visit his family in Erdemli, Mersin, and came on vacation to the occupied territories, where he has relatives, along with his wife and their 4-year-old son, Atabey.
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According to media reports, when Ates realized the catamaran was about to capsize, he moved his wife and son to a safe spot on the deck and then went down to get a life jacket, where he became trapped and lost his life.
According to the Yeni Düzen website, as search and rescue efforts continued for a fourth day, the families of the missing outside the port of Kyrenia, waiting for news, were wondering why the “transport minister,” Erhan Arikli hadn’t gone there, as other “ministers” have done—just as the “Minister of Finance,” Ozdemir Berova, went there today. “If Arikli doesn’t come, we’ll go to him,” some of them said, while asking “police officers” in front of the naval base building—where the Crisis Coordination and Management Office is meeting—to convey the message that they want to speak with him “face to face.”
The president of the TAM party, Serdar Denktash, stated on a television program that this is a collective trauma they will never forget and that all those responsible for the shipwreck must be held accountable. He criticized the serious lack of oversight and mismanagement that led to the accident, as well as the authorization to allow a damaged ship to set sail.
The accident, he added, cannot be attributed to a single mistake by the captain or to a specific incident. “Based on previous evidence, images of the ship, and the victims’ testimonies, it is clear that there is a chain of negligence. Those responsible at every level of this chain must be held accountable. Those who carried out the repairs, those who approved the ship’s seaworthiness, the port authority, the Ministry of Transportation, and all officials involved in this process are at fault,” he said.
Turkish Cypriot media are reporting on the statements of Captain Ulus Gokler, whose expertise was sought in the investigation into the Filo Jet. He stated that an initial review of documents and images conducted with the “police” it appears that the captain did not inform the passengers in a timely manner, did not reduce the ship’s speed, and did not manage the evacuation process smoothly. “The simplest thing he could have done was to slow down. If the ship had stopped, the sinking could have happened much later.”
He claimed that the captain abandoned the ship before the passengers and did not send out a distress signal in a timely manner. He also argued that the lifeboats were not lowered by the crew in the proper manner and that they opened on their own as the ship tilted.
Gökler stated that one of the critical gaps in the investigation is the ship’s logbook and added that he is also awaiting the maintenance and repair records, insurance policies, and the captain’s original qualification documents.
Referring to the inspection system, he said that the council responsible for inspecting ships flying the “TDVK flag” had not been operational for 3 to 5 years. Regarding the captain’s Honduran certificate, he stated that “it must be clarified why it was accepted on a ship flying the TDVK flag.” He also noted that responsibility cannot rest solely with the captain. Maintenance, repairs, insurance, and any previous notifications to the company should also be investigated.
Event Cancellations and Financial Support
The “mayor” of Kyrenia, Murat Senkül, announced that discussions are underway to cancel the 2026 Kyrenia Festival, scheduled for mid-September, and that the plan is to donate all proceeds from the Kyrenia Half Marathon to the families of the missing.
Furthermore, the “mayor” of Nicosia, Mehmet Harmanci, announced that tomorrow he will submit a proposal to the relevant committee to donate the proceeds from the Nicosia Half Marathon, which will take place in October, to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
Source: CNA
