02.09.2026 09:40
Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels, ALSU and TUGBERK IMAMOGLU, collided off the coast of Silivri. While no visible damage was detected on the ALSU, contact could not be established with the 10 personnel on the TUGBERK IMAMOGLU vessel. In a statement from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, it was stated, "The ship is considered to have sunk, and the 10 missing sailors have not been reached."
News is awaited from the search and rescue efforts launched after two Turkish-flagged commercial ships collided off the coast of Silivri in the nighttime hours.
According to a statement from the Istanbul Governorship, the accident occurred at approximately 03:00 on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 18 nautical miles south of the Silivri coast.
The Turkish-flagged commercial vessel ALSU, traveling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided with the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, heading from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli, for reasons not yet determined.
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF MARITIME AFFAIRS: THE SHIP IS ASSESSED TO HAVE SUNK
Following the accident, search and rescue efforts were launched after contact could not be established with the vessel named TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU.
The Directorate General of Maritime Affairs reported that no response was received from the ship to any calls, and the personnel on board could not be reached on their mobile phones.
In the statement, it was noted, "Since the Tuğberk İmamoğlu vessel did not respond to any calls and calls to the mobile phones of the personnel on board went unanswered, it is assessed that the Tuğberk İmamoğlu dry cargo ship has sunk, and search and rescue activities have been promptly initiated and are being carried out by teams from the Directorate General of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Command."
10 PERSONNEL ARE ON BOARD THE SHIP
The Istanbul Governorship also announced that contact could not be established with TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the 10 personnel on board.
Numerous maritime assets belonging to the Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command, as well as a coast guard helicopter, were dispatched to the region.
According to the initial assessments of the teams, there is no visible damage on the other ship involved in the accident, ALSU.
THEY ARE BEING SEARCHED FROM SEA AND AIR
In a statement made by the Istanbul Governorship, it was said, "According to initial assessments made by the units that arrived at the region, it was observed that there is no visible damage on the vessel named ALSU. However, contact cannot currently be established with the commercial vessel named TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the 10 personnel on board, and search and rescue efforts of the units in the region are ongoing."
Search and rescue efforts are continuing, conducted from sea and air by teams from the Directorate General of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Command, to reach the vessel named TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the 10 personnel on board.