Owner of the sunken TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU in Silivri criticizes delayed response from ALSU after collision, as search for crew continues.
The owner of the sunken ship in Silivri expressed his dissatisfaction: 'Nothing is being done from the other side.'
Discussions continue regarding the sinking of the Turkish-flagged commercial ship TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the inability to reach the 10 crew members aboard, following a collision with another Turkish-flagged ship, ALSU, off the coast of Silivri in the Sea of Marmara. After the incident, the ship's owner, Tahsin Doğruyol, made striking statements about the ongoing process.
Doğruyol particularly reacted to the process of the other ship notifying the authorities after the accident. He stated that the ship had emergency systems in place, and that during the sinking, the system automatically sent out a distress signal, and they were informed of the incident through this system.
In his statement, Doğruyol said:
'The ship has systems. When it sinks, it sends out an emergency distress signal. They call us from there, and that’s how we get informed. Nothing is being done from the other side.'
According to the shipowner, the captain of TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU communicated with ALSU via radio twice before the collision and warned that the other ship had entered their navigation area. İmamoğlu Maritime also stated in a written announcement that their ship was sailing in the lane assigned to them in the traffic separation scheme and that there was no technical malfunction that could have caused the accident. The company argued that the collision occurred as a result of ALSU's navigational maneuvers.
Notable time difference in notifications
After the accident, it was reported that an emergency signal was received from TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU's EPIRB device, while the captain of the ALSU tanker later reached the Vessel Traffic Services Center to report the accident.
According to a report sourced from AA, the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs records indicate that an emergency signal was received from TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU's EPIRB device at 03:26, while the captain of ALSU reached the Vessel Traffic Services Center at 03:41.
Doğruyol claimed that the other ship did not notify the authorities for a long time after the accident, expressing his reaction to this situation. In some of his statements, he asserted that this duration exceeded 30 minutes.
'Our priority is to reach our 10 sailors'
In a statement made by İmamoğlu Maritime, it was noted that the cause and circumstances of the accident would be revealed as a result of official investigations and inquiries, and that the company would provide all information and documents to the authorities within the scope of the investigation. The company stated that its priority was to reach the 10 sailors aboard the ship.
The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has also initiated an investigation into the accident, while search and rescue operations for the missing crew continue in the area.
The critical point of the news: Doğruyol's statement that 'nothing is being done from the other side' should be presented as the claim of the ship's owner. Official records indicate that the EPIRB signal from TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU was received at 03:26 and that the captain of ALSU made a notification at 03:41. Therefore, the news text should emphasize that the notification processes of both parties will be clarified through the investigation rather than making a definitive judgment.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
