Ship that sank off Kyrenia flooded in a 2003 collision, court records show

Local accidentoccupied northTop News Ship that sank off Kyrenia flooded in a 2003 collision, court records show Catamaran Tourkiko 1536x864 Relevant News Ship that sank off Kyrenia flooded in a 2003 collision, court records show 31 August 2026 Greece signs €3bn air defence deal with Israel 31 August 2026 Targeted British twins still untraced as Cyprus murder plot suspects held 31 August 2026 Andreas Athanasiou 31 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber New details have emerged about the history of the Filo Jet, the catamaran that sank off Kyrenia, as investigations continue into the cause of the disaster and the search for those still missing. Behind its current name lies the IRIS JET, a catamaran with a 26-year history that had already sailed to Kyrenia as far back as 2003. The vessel’s identity, tracked under IMO number 8962034, remained constant over the years despite repeated changes of name, ownership and flag. Of particular interest is that the same ship suffered a water ingress incident in 2003, after colliding with a pier. From France to the Balearics The ship was built in 2000 at the Iris Catamarans shipyard in La Rochelle, France, with its official delivery recorded on June 1, 2001. It is a high-speed passenger catamaran roughly 42.8 metres long, 339 gross tonnes, with an original capacity of around 346 passengers. It was named IRIS JET from the outset, and its first owner was the French manufacturer Iris Catamarans. The same year, it passed to the Spanish company Cape Balear S.L., registered in Palamós, and operated in the Balearic Islands. On the Kyrenia route in 2003 Two years later, in 2003, the IRIS JET was chartered by the Turkish company Meltem Denizcilik for passenger routes between Turkey and the occupied north. In practice, it ran a limited number of sailings on the Tasucu–Kyrenia line. The vessel’s presence on this route during that period is also confirmed by a French court ruling, which references its operation on a passenger link between Turkey and occupied Cyprus. The collision and the water ingress According to a ruling by France’s Court of Cassation dated March 10, 2009, the IRIS JET struck a pier at Tasucu during a manoeuvre on October 26, 2003. The ship continued operating after the collision, but a few days later suffered serious water ingress. The same ruling records that repair works had been recommended at a suitable port, but these were not carried out before the ship’s condition worsened. The incident subsequently led to years of insurance and legal disputes. The fact that the same catamaran suffered water ingress 23 years ago has now resurfaced in public discussion in the occupied north, though no technical or other indication has so far linked the 2003 incident to the recent sinking. Years out of service The ship’s later history was also turbulent. The IRIS JET was seized at Tasucu port over debts owed to employees and other creditors and remained out of active service for an extended period. It was repeatedly put up for auction in the years that followed, including in 2007 for $2.425 million and again in 2014. The exact length of its continuous inactivity is not recorded consistently across available records, making it more accurate to describe a multi-year lay-up period rather than an unbroken number of years out of service. Passed to Greek ownership in 2017 In 2017, the ship passed to the Greek company Irisjet Maritime and was moved to Perama for repairs, retaining the name IRIS JET and the Greek flag. Available registry data show Irisjet Maritime as owner from May 29, 2017 until March 2, 2024. A brief transfer to Panama’s registry under Kasteknik Denizcilik is recorded in 2020, before the ship returned that same year to Irisjet Maritime and the Greek flag. From IRIS JET to FILO JET In 2024, the catamaran changed hands again, passing to the Turkish company Filo Denizcilik Ltd., which renamed it FILO JET and returned it to the Tasucu–Kyrenia line. Filo Denizcilik is listed today as both the registered owner and manager of the vessel; its immediately preceding owner was the Greek company Irisjet Maritime. The same catamaran had sailed to Kyrenia as far back as 2003 and returned, two decades later, to essentially the same route. Turkish Cypriot journalists’ questions The ship’s history has sparked intense debate in northern Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot journalist Aysu Basri Akter, citing publicly available data, wrote that the Filo Jet is 26 years old and described a complex history marked by successive changes of flag and ownership. She also referred to the ship’s classification records, noting points she said required further investigation. Other Turkish Cypriot journalists have raised questions about the ship’s condition, the inspections that preceded the disaster, and the circumstances under which it was cleared to sail on the day of the tragedy. Bugün Kıbrıs editor Aysemden Akin said permission to sail had initially been withheld due to weather conditions, but that the decision was later reversed, and called for the publication of the route operating licence, inspection reports and the ship’s departure documentation. These remain claims that are expected to be investigated. Arikli: the ship had been inspected The self-styled “Minister of Public Works and Transport” in the occupied north, Erhan Arikli, rejected reports that the Filo Jet had sailed without inspection. Speaking to KIBRIS TV, he said the ship had passed an inspection by Turk Loydu around two and a half months earlier and had received the relevant certificates, including a class certificate. He also rejected claims that the captain lacked a licence, saying the captain had around 25 years of experience and a long-standing presence in the area. On reports of a possible explosion aboard the ship, he said answers would be provided once technical investigations were complete. Survivors’ allegations Serious allegations have also come from passengers who survived the sinking. Ibrahim Kanbolat said passengers had alerted crew members when they noticed water entering the ship, and that when the situation worsened and the catamaran began to list, no organised distribution of life jackets took place. A similar account was given to CNN Turk by survivor Efe Multici, who said some passengers were forced to jump into the sea without life jackets; by his account, the ship began taking on water roughly 20 to 25 minutes after leaving Kyrenia. These accounts remain survivor allegations and are expected to be assessed as part of the official investigation. Answers sought at sea The Filo Jet was carrying a total of 267 people, comprising 259 passengers and eight crew members, according to Turkey’s Interior Ministry. The toll so far stands at eight dead, with 18 people still missing. The captain and other individuals have been placed in custody as an investigation into possible responsibility continues. The wreck lies at great depth, and recovering the ship’s data recording systems is considered critical, as they may provide answers about what happened in the final minutes before the sinking. 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