Erol Karcı denies drug allegations, calling his detention a smear tactic and asserting no drug claims in his CİMER application.
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 was no drug allegation 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 Peace Criminal Court the next day after giving a statement to the prosecutor's office. He mentioned that the court rejected the prosecutor's request for a travel ban 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 judicial control request does not imply that a decision of acquittal or lack of grounds for prosecution was made regarding the substance of the ongoing investigation.
'I did not allege drug offenses'
Karcı firmly denied the allegation attributed to him regarding drug informant claims 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 accompanying four-page petition sent to Denizhaber were examined. The visible text does not include the words 'drug' or 'narcotic.' The claims in the petition focus on the vessel's route and declarations, suspicion of unauthorized commercial passenger activity, customs and transit fuel transactions, AIS usage, and the 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 states that on August 12, 2026, the previous port was 'Kos' and the destination port was 'Naples.'
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, it docked stern-to-shore at Turunç Pınarı Bay in Fethiye on August 12 to disembark passengers. An image included in the CİMER petition shows a map indicating Turunç Pınarı Bay with a vessel identified as M/Y EMIR.
Karcı also claimed that starting from 10:30 on August 12, he contacted the 112 Emergency Call Center, the Coast Guard, and the relevant port authorities; he alleged that the vessel later received 170,000 liters of tax-exempt transit fuel in Marmaris. Since the transmitted file did not contain an invoice or delivery document showing the fuel purchase or a retrospective AIS/SGRS record, these claims could not be independently verified.
The port exit documents show the permitted movement information of the vessel; they do not independently 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 relevant institutions need to be examined together.
'My commercial reputation was targeted with 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. Claiming that these publications harmed his commercial reputation, Karcı asserted 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 regarding M/Y EMIR to the prosecutor's office with a wet signature.
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 of the expected income, estimated to be between 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 a formality and is conducted transparently. Since the application made to the ministry and documents regarding the project's financial structure were not included in the file sent to Denizhaber, this section also relies on Karcı's statement. Karcı expressed that the publications about him could negatively affect this social responsibility initiative.
Official investigation 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, transit fuel transactions, and the allegations directed at public officials. Similarly, Karcı's statement that his detention process was the result of a 'setup' is also his claim.
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 subject to the allegations reserve their right to respond and correct; any statements received will be added to the news.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
