11.11.2026 20:32
The 10 Indian crew members on the Alan ship, which has been lying abandoned off Tuzla, Istanbul since 2023 and was previously used in the Grain Corridor, have not been paid for about 8 months. With no fuel or electricity on board and drinking water running out, the seafarers have had to boil seawater to drink. While trying to survive with the support of the ITF and the Turkish Red Crescent, they asked for help to return to their country.
While the Russia-Ukraine war continues, the ship Alan, opened as part of the 'Grain Corridor' to be a remedy for humanity's food crisis, has remained abandoned in Türkiye since 2023 due to financial difficulties. The 10 Indian crew members on the Alan requested help to return to their country, stating that they have not been paid for about 8 months and are struggling to survive under difficult conditions. It was stated that on the ship off Istanbul Tuzla, supported by the ITF and the Turkish Red Crescent, there are serious difficulties in access to food, drinking water, fuel, and health services. The ship off Tuzla was filmed by drone.
The humanitarian problems on the ship named Alan, which has been abandoned in Türkiye since 2023 and was previously also known by the names Pink and Sea Inca, have come to the agenda. The 10 Indian crew members on board requested help from the authorities, stating that they have not received salaries for about 8 months and have difficulty reaching food and drinking water.
The crew members said they could not reach the shipowner and agent, that their salaries had not been paid for a long time, and that they wanted to return to their country. It was reported that the generators were not working due to the lack of fuel on the ship, and that there were serious problems with electricity and heating. It was stated that at one point the crew had to boil and drink seawater because they could not find drinking water, and that some employees experienced health problems.
In a statement by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) officials on the matter, it was reported that they had made notifications to relevant institutions, primarily the International Labour Organization (ILO), regarding the abandonment of the ship and crew. It was stated that the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and the Tuzla Regional Port Authority were carrying out work to resolve the situation of the ship and protect the crew's rights, while it was expressed that the Turkish Red Crescent also provided water and food support to the crew.
It was stated that some of the cargo on the ship had spoiled, that the living areas had become unsuitable in terms of hygiene, and that the ship remaining uncontrolled in Turkish territorial waters posed a risk to navigation safety. On the other hand, officials stated that the crew on board did not have sufficient means and control to intervene in the ship in an emergency and either weigh anchor or take the ship to a safe area. While the crew demanded that their salaries be paid immediately and that they be enabled to return to their countries, ITF officials called on international institutions and relevant parties to fulfill their responsibilities.
THEY HAD TO BOIL SEAWATER TO DRINK
Amar Shakti Nag, who serves as the third engineer on the ship, said that they had not received salaries for about 8 months and were trying to live under very difficult conditions. Nag, stating that some crew members on the ship joined in February and that he himself joined the ship on February 27, expressed that they had not received salaries since that date. Nag, saying that no payment had been made to their bank accounts, stated that the shipowner and agent did not fulfill the promises they made to them. Nag, stating that there was not enough food and drinking water on the ship, said that the provisions given to them were enough for about 10 days, but they were distributed expecting them to make them last for 30 days.
Nag, explaining that they were in a very difficult situation after the drinking water ran out, stated that after about 3-4 months they had to collect seawater, boil it, and drink it. He expressed that during this process some crew members experienced serious health problems, and two or three people became ill. Nag, stating that they reached out to the ITF because of the problems the crew experienced and made an emergency call for help, recounted that when the health condition of one crew member worsened, emergency response teams came to the ship and intervened.
Nag, stating that the generators were not working because there was no fuel and that they had experienced power outages for about 8 months, expressed that previously they could run the generators briefly, for one or two hours, but now they had no fuel left. Nag, stating that it was very difficult for 10 people to live on the ship in cold weather, expressed that they were trying to survive by sharing the limited food they had.
Nag, stating that the ITF had supported them for the last three weeks, expressed that the shipowner and agent did not answer their phones, that they had sent emails to the companies and authorities in Türkiye, but their problems had not yet been resolved. Nag called on the authorities: "We want the Turkish government and the ITF to help us. We want to return to our country. We have not received our salaries. We have been working for eight months, but no payment has been made. It is also very difficult for us to return to our countries without receiving our salaries. Please help us and enable us to return home."
A STATE OF ABANDONMENT UNBEFITTING HUMAN DIGNITY
ITF lawyer Arif Sinan Ünlü, stating that the ship had been abandoned in Türkiye since 2023, said that the ship had previously used the names Pink and Sea Inca, and that it currently operates under the name Alan. Regarding the matter, Ünlü used the following statements:
"With the initiatives of the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, under the organization of our port authorities, efforts are being made to provide support to people on abandoned ships, to seafarers, together with civil society organizations. Because when a ship loses its economic value, no one wants to take responsibility. These ships fly foreign flags and their crews are also foreign nationals. Since Türkiye is on the transit route of the ships, these ships remain here. This ship has also been abandoned since 2023. Its first name was Pink, then Sea Inca, and now it bears the name Alan. It has been in port for about three years. There are more than 10 other ships that I personally know of that are completely abandoned. There are situations where even legal means cannot reach those responsible for these ships. There are crews of 10-15 people on the ships. However, because the human factor is not seen as an economic value, these people are also abandoned along with the ships. They are deprived of the most basic needs such as food, drinking water, health services, and heating. They can see land but cannot reach it. This is a state of abandonment unbefitting human dignity. International mechanisms need to be brought into play. Very few countries other than Türkiye assume responsibility on this issue. The flag states of the ships do not even respond to the emails sent. "
FOR MONTHS THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING ON WATER AND PROVISIONS BROUGHT BY VOLUNTEERS
Ünlü, drawing attention to the fact that despite calls being made to all competent and necessary institutions after the ship was unlawfully abandoned, no response was received, noted the following:
"We made a notification to the International Labour Organization (ILO) regarding the abandonment of the ship and crew under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). We also made notifications to the ship's P&I insurance, flag state, shipowner, operator, and the human resources companies in India that supplied the crew. We asked them to fulfill their obligations, pay the crew's wages and ensure their return to their countries. However, although the ship is Cameroon-flagged, the flag state did not assume any responsibility. Although the ship had an insurance policy, the P&I insurance also did not provide support to the crew. The shipowner did not respond to communication attempts. The ship's representatives said they would resolve the issues, but there were constant delays. During this process, no food, water or humanitarian aid supplies were delivered to the crew. The crew has been trying to survive for months on the food and water delivered by us and other supporting individuals. Today, the Turkish Red Crescent also provided water and food aid to the ship. The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and the Tuzla Regional Port Authority provide serious support for the removal of ships from here and the protection of seafarers' rights. There are currently 10 Indian crew members on board. These people have been left to die, as it were. They reached a point where they had to drink seawater when they ran out of drinking water. There is also no fuel on board that they can use to cook food and keep warm. From time to time they try to cook food by lighting a wood fire or, if they can find fish, to cook fish. They can only benefit from solar energy enough to charge their phones. The ship's living areas are in extremely poor condition and hygiene conditions are inadequate. This increases the risk of the crew getting sick. The small amount of corn cargo remaining on the ship has also spoiled and caused flies. The crew therefore has to wear masks. In addition, the ship's presence within Turkish territorial waters poses a risk in terms of navigation safety. Especially in stormy weather, an uncontrollable ship may drift and collide with another ship. The port authority is aware of this risk and carries out work day and night. Although there is personnel on board, the crew does not have sufficient control and means to intervene in the ship, to weigh anchor and move the ship offshore in an emergency, or to take it to a safe area. Therefore, both the crew's living conditions and the safety of maritime traffic require that the problem be resolved as soon as possible. "
THEIR SALARIES MUST BE PAID, THEY MUST RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRIES
ITF Inspector Selahattin Polat, noting that the process on the Alan ship has continued since 2023, said that they had made notifications to international organizations and responsible companies regarding the abandonment of the ship and crew. Polat stated that the ship had previously used the names Pink and Sea Inca and is currently under the name Alan, and provided the following information:
"We have notified the International Labour Organization (ILO) within the scope of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) regarding the abandonment of the ship and crew. In addition, we made notifications to the ship's P&I insurance, flag state, shipowner, operator, and human resources companies in India that supplied the crew. We asked these institutions and organizations to fulfill their obligations, pay the crew's accumulated wages and ensure their return to their countries. However, although the ship carries the Cameroon flag, the flag state did not assume any responsibility. Although the ship has insurance, the P&I insurance also did not provide the necessary support. The shipowner did not respond to our communication attempts. Although the ship's representatives said the problems would be resolved, there were constant delays. The crew's basic needs, food, drinking water and other humanitarian aid supplies were also not met. The people on board had to live for months without sufficient food and drinking water. During this process, food and water were delivered by us and supporting individuals so that they could meet their needs. Today, the Turkish Red Crescent also provided water and food supplies to the ship. The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and the Tuzla Regional Port Authority have provided serious support in this process. Work is being carried out to remove the ships from where they are, protect the crew's rights and resolve the problems experienced. "
THEY WEAR MASKS BECAUSE OF THE SPOILED CORN CARGO
Emphasizing that the difficulties experienced also pose a serious risk to the crew's health, Polat spoke as follows:
"There are currently 10 Indian crew members on board. These people are fighting for their lives under very harsh conditions. At one point, because they could not find drinking water, they had to drink seawater. There is no fuel on board that they can use to cook food or keep warm. From time to time they try to cook food over wood fires, and if they can find fish, to cook fish. The limited electricity they can obtain from solar energy is only enough to charge their phones. The ship's living areas are extremely poor and hygiene conditions are inadequate. This poses a serious risk to the crew's health. Because the small amount of corn cargo remaining on the ship has spoiled, flies have formed. The crew has to wear masks due to this problem in the living areas. The ship's presence within Turkey's territorial waters poses a risk not only for the crew but also for the safety of maritime traffic. Especially in stormy weather, there is a possibility that an uncontrollable ship may drift and collide with another ship. The port authority is aware of this risk and continues its work to resolve the problem. Although there are crew members on board, they do not have sufficient means to control the ship and intervene in an emergency. In the event of a possible danger, it is not possible for them to weigh anchor and move the ship offshore or take it to a safe area. Our main expectation here is that the shipowner and responsible companies fulfill their obligations, the crew's accumulated wages are paid and their return to their countries is ensured. These people need to live in humane conditions and regain their rights. "
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