Police guard the entrace of the port of Kyrenia, in the Turkish Cyprus, during a rescue operation off the coast after a ferry capsized. (AFP Photo)
The investigation into the sinking of a passenger ferry off the coast of Turkish Cyprus deepened on Sept. 3, with growing questions surrounding he captain’s qualifications and the validity of his maritime license.
The ferry carrying 267 people sank on Aug. 30, shortly after departing from Kyrenia Port on the northern coast of the divided island.
Search and rescue teams on Sept. 2 recovered the body of one of 20 people who had been missing after the ferry capsized, bringing the death toll to at least nine.
The victim was believed to be a man in his 50s. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel did not disclose where the body had been found.
As the investigation intensified on Sept. 3, authorities determined that the captain had originally obtained a maritime license from Türkiye, but that it had expired after he failed to renew it following a 10-year hiatus from sailing.
The captain was later reportedly found to have used his old license number when contacting individuals in Greece and to have obtained a new license from Honduras in exchange for $3,500.
He subsequently secured a certificate of competency in Turkish Cyprus and operated the ferry using those documents.
The vessel’s second captain told a court that it was known before departure that Taşucu Port, the ferry’s intended destination in southern Türkiye, was closed.
He said the decision to set sail had been made at the captain’s discretion.
Expert reports prepared as part of the investigation indicated that the disaster could have been averted had the vessel returned to port slowly, immediately after it began taking on water.
The reports concluded that the accident could have been prevented had the captain not made an extremely sharp maneuver.
Passengers aboard the ferry at the time said they noticed the vessel was taking on water but alleged that the crew failed to take the situation seriously.
As search and rescue efforts continued following the disaster, Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı was dismissed.
Arıklı, who heads the Rebirth Party (YDP), one of the coalition partners, subsequently announced that his party was withdrawing from the government in response to the decision.
