Collision off Silivri sinks Tuğberk İmamoğlu; search for 10 missing crew members ongoing as Alsu undergoes investigation.
An accident occurred 18 miles off the coast of Silivri, where the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel named Alsu, measuring 90 meters in length and en route from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided with another commercial vessel named Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which was traveling from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli.
In the accident, the Tuğberk İmamoğlu sank within 8 minutes, and search efforts for its 10-member crew are continuing into the third day.
The Alsu, which has been towed approximately 2 kilometers off Silivri, is undergoing expert examination and is also reported to be under investigation.
LOCATION OF THE VESSEL IDENTIFIED
In a statement from the Ministry of National Defense (MSB), it was noted that search efforts for the Tuğberk İmamoğlu vessel and its crew, which sank due to the collision of two commercial vessels on September 2, 2026, off the coast of Silivri, are ongoing. The statement included, 'Our Naval Forces' TCG Akın salvage and towing vessel, which has been conducting operations in the accident area since the first day, has identified the location of the sunken vessel. Our Naval Forces are continuing their operations in a coordinated manner.'
'WE SPOKE VIA VIDEO BEFORE THE ACCIDENT'
The family of 26-year-old Eyyüp Enes Cesur, who is missing from the dry cargo ship that sank after colliding with a tanker off the coast of Silivri, is waiting for good news from Mersin. His father, Süleyman Cesur, stated that they spoke via video call with his son the evening before the accident, saying, 'Our pain is great. We want him to be found, whether dead or alive. If he is not alive, at least let us retrieve his body. We are burning; the fire has fallen upon us.'
The empty ALSU tanker, which was sailing from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided with the dry cargo ship named Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which was carrying 4,199 tons of rolled steel from İskenderun to Karadeniz Ereğli, around 03:00 in the morning, 18 miles (35 kilometers) south of Silivri.
After the collision, the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which had 10 crew members on board, sank. While search and rescue operations to find the missing crew continue, the family of 26-year-old Eyyüp Enes Cesur, who worked in the engine room of the ship and lives in the Demirışık neighborhood of Mezitli district in Mersin, is also waiting for news.
Cesur, who graduated from a Maritime Vocational High School and has been working at sea for about 8 years, is the youngest of three siblings and is reported to be single.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
