Boat tragedy in a new documentary

KOCAELİ - Anatolia News Agency

The incident in 1958 in İzmit Gulf caused the death of 400 people. DHA photo

A new documentary depicting the tragic Üsküdar boat that sank 55 years ago on March 1, 1958, killing 400 people in the İzmit Gulf, has made debuted at a gala in the northwestern province of Kocaeli.

The gala for the documentary, titled “72 Numaralı Üsküdar” (Üsküdar No. 72), was attended by the witnesses of the event as well as many others.

Director of the documentary, Berk Erözer, said that he had made a good project with his own opportunities and with a good team, 55 years after the tragedy.

“No work has been so far made in İzmit about the incident; at least a local of İzmit did not make it. It was a shame. I took it as my duty at age 21 and made the documentary.”

He said that they had brought together the survivors of the tragedy in the documentary, adding, “They share those days with each other. They had not come together for 55 years. Even though I could not reach my goal with the documentary, I brought these people together.”

One of the survivors of the incident, Ceyhan Dinçer, who lost his daughter and wife, said that the boat was not strong and it sank.