31.08.2026 08:50
After the passenger ferry disaster off the coast of Kyrenia, in which 8 people lost their lives and 18 were buried in the waters, the fact that Filo Denizcilik, which organized the voyage, closed its social media accounts and continued to sell new tickets for 3,125 TL on its official website has sparked great reaction.
The picture is becoming clearer in the disaster that occurred when a catamaran-type passenger ship carrying a total of 267 people, which set off from Kyrenia to Mersin Taşucu on August 30, 2026, capsized shortly after departure. Through the intense efforts of the teams, 241 people were rescued alive from the sea, but unfortunately, the lifeless bodies of 8 people were recovered. Search efforts for the 18 missing passengers continue uninterrupted. Following this great tragedy, a 3-day national mourning was declared in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
CAPTAIN AND 7 CREW MEMBERS DETAINED
The judicial process regarding the causes of the disaster has also accelerated. TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced that, within the scope of the comprehensive investigation launched after the accident, the ship's captain and 7 accompanying personnel have been taken into custody.
THEY CLOSED THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT DID NOT STOP TICKET SALES
The moves of the operator company Filo Denizcilik, to which all eyes have turned, have sparked a new scandal. The company, which announced on the day of the incident via its official Instagram account that a crisis desk had been established, completely shut down this social media account the day after the disaster.
However, it has emerged that the company, which shut down its social media presence, continued its operations on its official website as if nothing had happened. Even though not even 24 hours had passed since the disaster, the site's ticket screen showed the August 31 at 14:00 Kyrenia-Taşucu voyage on sale for 3,125 TL. Furthermore, the fact that tickets for round-trip voyages covering September 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 continued to be actively sold caused reactions and new question marks.