Prime Minister Ünal Üstel of Northern Cyprus announced that the body of one of the 20 missing persons has been recovered.
The high-speed passenger vessel “Filo Jet,” operating on the Kyrenia (Girne)–Taşucu route, sank shortly after departing from Kyrenia last Sunday. While 241 people were rescued, the bodies of 8 victims had previously been found. Providing an update on search efforts for the 20 still missing, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel stated: “The body of one of the 20 missing individuals has been located. The deceased is a man in his 50s; DNA samples will be taken from his family for positive identification.”
In a separate development, Prime Minister Üstel announced that he had dismissed the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Erhan Arıklı, from his post. The decision was made to ensure that the ongoing investigation into the disaster proceeds “without leaving any room for doubt.” Üstel stated, “I have informed our Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Erhan Arıklı, that I have removed him from his duties. As the head of the executive branch, it is my responsibility to take all necessary administrative measures to safeguard the integrity of the investigation and to ease public conscience.”
What Happened?
The “Filo Jet,” a high-speed passenger ferry operating between Kyrenia Harbour in Northern Cyprus and Taşucu Port in Mersin, Turkey, began taking on water from its bow shortly after departing Kyrenia around midday last Sunday. While attempting to turn back to the harbour, the vessel capsized. In the immediate aftermath, 241 survivors were rescued, and the bodies of 9 victims were recovered. Search operations were launched for 20 people who remained unaccounted for.
Authorities have reported that the wreckage of the sunken ship lies at a depth of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) on the seabed.
Previously, Prime Minister Üstel had stated that port officials who authorized the vessel’s departure had been suspended pending the investigation. He also vowed that “those responsible will face justice.”
