Seyit Kurt
30 August 2026•Update: 30 August 2026
Türkiye has mobilized all available resources after the capsizing of a passenger ship sailing from Kyrenia to Mersin’s Tasucu port, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.
In a statement on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan offered his well wishes to the Turkish nation and Turkish Cypriot people over the accident.
“Immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search and rescue operations in cooperation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said.
“As a result of these efforts, 237 passengers and crew members were rescued safely, while unfortunately seven of our brothers and sisters lost their lives,” Erdogan added.
He said efforts to reach those still missing were continuing uninterrupted, expressing hope for positive news from the search operations.
“We are also closely following this process, for which we have mobilized all the resources of our state,” Erdogan said.
He extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and offered his well wishes to those rescued.
Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus offered condolences to the families of those killed, and voiced hope that ongoing efforts to rescue the remaining passengers and crew would be successfully concluded.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz also offered condolences, saying the rescue of 237 people was “our greatest consolation.” He expressed hope that those still missing would be found safely and thanked Turkish and Turkish Cypriot teams involved in the search and rescue operation.
Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said search and rescue operations in the area were continuing uninterrupted. He offered condolences to the families of the victims, and extended his well wishes to all passengers and crew affected by the accident.
