“Is my wife alive?” — anguish grows as Kyrenia search resumes

Local accidentoccupied northTop News “Is my wife alive?” — anguish grows as Kyrenia search resumes Image 536 Relevant News “Is my wife alive?” — anguish grows as Kyrenia search resumes 31 August 2026 Hospitals discharge shipwreck survivors as search for 18 missing continues 31 August 2026 35 degree peak, mostly clear skies on Monday 31 August 2026 newsroom 31 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Turkish Cypriot media have published photographs of those missing and dead following Sunday’s capsizing of a passenger ship off Kyrenia, as the search for 18 missing people entered its second day on Monday. The death toll stands at eight so far, while a total of 242 passengers have been rescued alive, according to “Minister of Transport” Erhan Arikli. Search resumes at first light Arikli said the ship had come to rest on the seabed at a depth of 514 metres, and that a specially equipped vessel and divers were expected to arrive from Turkey to assist the search. The overnight search for the missing, involving aircraft, drones, night-vision-equipped helicopters and ships, continued throughout the night and was due to resume from the air and sea at first light on Monday. Ustel separately announced that a Turkish Navy search and rescue vessel, capable of operating at depths of up to 1,000 metres, was expected to arrive in the north. Missing include children, families and the elderly Among the missing are children, families and elderly passengers, with “authorities” and relatives appealing to anyone with information to contact their nearest “security force” without delay. According to Turkish Cypriot media, those reported missing include 14-year-old Saliha Miray Bicer and her six-year-old brother Mehmet Asaf Bicer; Nihat Pancar; Elif Bayir, Mehmet Bayhan and 14-year-old Nisa Torer; Nurcan Hilaloglu, Asel Hilaloglu and Nazife Ozbolat. Also missing are Elmas Demir, Gulcan Gulay, Serife Ozdemir and Huseyin Ozdemir; Nurcan Hilaloglu and her daughter, Mehmet Nuri Ayran and Ozgur Gonul; Ismail Kurt; and Suleyman Erdogan. First victim named The identity of one of those who died has become known. Sports club Dogan Turk Birligi announced that Nuray Zeytun, mother of the club’s women’s football team captain, Muzeyyen Dilek Ozbiler, died in the shipwreck. The club said in a statement that it wished God’s rest for her and offered its condolences, along with wishes of strength and patience, to Ozbiler and her family. “Is my wife alive?” Relatives’ anguish has spilled into public view. During a media briefing on Sunday evening at a crisis management centre set up at Kyrenia port, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman was addressing journalists when a man began shouting towards him, asking whether his wife, who had been on the ship, was alive. He had waited hours for an answer and received none, telling Erhurman: “Is my wife alive? Tell me, is she alive?” Erhurman, with “Prime Minister” Unal Ustel beside him, tried to explain that search operations were continuing, but the man responded that it was all lies. Since Sunday afternoon, relatives gathered outside Kyrenia port and at the hospitals where survivors had been taken began shouting at and confronting “police officers”, demanding to know whether their relatives were alive, dead or missing, and asking for updates on the condition of the injured. Some hospitals published the names of patients admitted there for treatment or examination. Videos circulating online show some relatives fainting under the strain. Captain and crew arrested The ship’s captain and seven crew members have been arrested and are being held in custody over the disaster, “Prime Minister” Ustel confirmed, adding that an investigation had been launched into every aspect of the incident. Describing it as “the worst maritime tragedy Cyprus has ever experienced”, Ustel said every aspect of the incident would be investigated, that even the smallest negligence would be uncovered, and that there would be no leniency for anyone found responsible or negligent. Experts raise questions Turkish maritime expert and academic Senol Caliskan told a Turkish television channel that catamaran-type vessels are generally difficult to sink, but pointed to the possibility of technical malfunctions or damage and/or cracks that went unnoticed in time, noting the bad weather that hit the area the previous day. He said the fact the ship listed very quickly rather than sinking slowly needed to be investigated. Turkish maritime law expert Emete Gozuguzelli told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that the investigation should not focus solely on the cause of the sinking, but also on the evacuation process, including whether the watertight doors functioned, the suitability of the hull, the distribution of passengers and cargo, certifications and inspections, and the use of lifeboats and rescue craft. She stressed that one of the most critical questions was whether the systems needed to evacuate the 267 people on board were activated correctly and in time, and that witness statements needed to be considered alongside technical and legal findings. 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