Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye has deployed all available resources following the capsizing of a passenger vessel traveling from Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus toward Tasucu port in southern Türkiye.
In a statement shared on social media, Erdogan expressed sympathy with the people of Türkiye and Turkish Cyprus following the accident. He said extensive search and rescue efforts were launched immediately in coordination with authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
According to Erdogan, 237 passengers and crew members were rescued, while seven people lost their lives in the incident. Search operations for those still missing are continuing without interruption.
The Turkish president said government authorities were closely monitoring the rescue operation and had made all necessary state resources available. He also offered condolences to the families of those who died and wished the rescued passengers and crew a safe recovery.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and hoped rescue teams would successfully locate everyone who remained missing.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz described the rescue of 237 people as a major source of relief. He also praised Turkish and Turkish Cypriot teams participating in the emergency response and expressed hope that the remaining missing people would be found safely.
Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran confirmed that search and rescue operations were continuing in the area and conveyed condolences to the families affected by the tragedy.
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