Erol Karcı refutes claims of being a 'fake informant' and discusses his detention, asserting it was a plot to tarnish his reputation.
Erol Karcı, who operates in the maritime sector, responded to the news published about him being a 'false informant' and his detention. Karcı stated that there were no allegations of drug-related offenses in his CİMER application and claimed that the detention process was orchestrated to damage his reputation. The four-page petition dated August 19, 2026, reviewed by Denizhaber, does not contain the terms 'drug' or 'narcotic.'
Karcı issued a written press statement regarding his detention on August 20 and his subsequent transfer to the Magistrate's Court the following day after giving a statement to the prosecutor's office. He mentioned that the court rejected the prosecutor's request for a travel ban abroad and other judicial control measures, and he was released without any measures being applied.
The written copy of the court's decision is not among the documents sent to Denizhaber. Therefore, information regarding the scope of the decision relies on Karcı's statement. The rejection of the request for judicial control does not imply a decision of acquittal or that there is no basis for prosecution regarding the ongoing investigation.
'I did not allege drug offenses'
Karcı categorically denied the allegation of drug-related reporting attributed to him in the detention news. He stated that his notifications were related to the navigation of the M/Y EMIR vessel, border and customs procedures, commercial passenger activities, AIS records, and the transit fuel process.
The CİMER application screen dated August 19, 2026, and the attached four-page petition sent to Denizhaber were examined. The visible text does not contain the words 'drug' or 'narcotic.' The claims in the petition focus on the vessel's route and declarations, suspicions of unauthorized commercial passenger activities, customs and transit fuel operations, AIS usage, and actions of certain public officials and private companies.
Claims regarding M/Y EMIR
According to Karcı's statement, the center of the dispute is the Greek-flagged M/Y EMIR. Two port exit documents sent to Denizhaber show that the vessel's IMO number is 8503151, the type of vessel is 'passenger ship,' it is registered under the flag of Greece, and its gross tonnage is 1,809.
The document numbered 2026-73-2014 from the Bodrum Regional Port Authority indicates that the vessel was allowed to depart from Bodrum to Kos on August 7, 2026. The document numbered 2026-74-634 from the Marmaris Regional Port Authority lists the previous port as 'Kos' and the destination port as 'Naples' for August 12, 2026.
Karcı claimed that the vessel did not leave Turkish territorial waters after the departure process on August 7; he asserted that after a period when the AIS signal could not be reached, the vessel docked stern-to-shore at Turunç Pınarı Bay in Fethiye on August 12 to disembark passengers. A map marking Turunç Pınarı Bay along with an image of a vessel identified as M/Y EMIR was included in the CİMER petition.
Karcı also claimed that starting from 10:30 AM on August 12, he contacted the 112 Emergency Call Center, the Coast Guard, and the relevant port authorities; he alleged that the vessel later took on 170,000 liters of tax-exempt transit fuel in Marmaris. These claims could not be independently verified as the transmitted file did not include an invoice or delivery document showing the fuel purchase or a retrospective AIS/SGRS record.
The port exit documents show the permitted movement information of the vessel; they do not alone prove the actual route between the two dates, passenger movements, the existence of a charter relationship, or the tax status of the fuel. To clarify these issues, official AIS and coastal surveillance records, the ship's log, passenger lists, entry-exit records, fuel documents, and minutes from the relevant institutions need to be examined together.
'My commercial reputation was targeted by the news'
Karcı stated that a narrative was constructed in the content titled 'Detention of the False Informant' published on Sabah.com.tr on August 21, suggesting that he made a drug report; he noted that the allegations in the investigation were also mentioned in Denizhaber. He argued that these publications harmed his commercial reputation and claimed that a 'reputation assassination' was carried out against him through the media.
Karcı announced that he would apply to the Press Crimes Investigation Bureau regarding the publications he believes to be false and that he would submit the CİMER petition and its attachments concerning M/Y EMIR with a wet signature to the prosecutor's office.
Goal to donate the income from the 43-meter yacht project to children's education
In his statement, Erol Karcı also referred to a new 43-meter superyacht project he said he initiated months ago. He stated that he plans to donate all the expected income of approximately 2 to 4 million euros from the project, which has not yet been introduced to the public, to the education of children in need of protection.
Karcı indicated that he requested official permission from the Ministry of Family and Social Services to ensure that the process is not merely verbal and is conducted transparently. Since the application to the ministry and documents regarding the financial structure of the project are not included in the existing file sent to Denizhaber, this section also relies on Karcı's statement. Karcı expressed that the publications about him could negatively impact this social responsibility initiative.
Official examination awaited for the allegations
No definitive judicial or administrative determination has been presented to Denizhaber regarding the actual route of M/Y EMIR, the allegation of disembarking passengers, the legal nature of charter activities, the transit fuel operation, and the allegations directed at public officials. Similarly, Karcı's statement that his detention process was the result of a 'setup' is also a claim on his part.
Denizhaber does not declare any person or institution within the scope of the investigation guilty, in accordance with the presumption of innocence. The institutions, companies, and individuals addressed by the allegations reserve their right to respond and correct; any statements received will be added to the news.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
