02.09.2026 16:41
DJ Sercan Ulutaş, who traveled on the passenger ship months before it capsized and sank off the coast of Girne, TRNC, and recounted experiencing a similar wave and water intake incident, stated that the authorities presented the situation as normal; however, following the disaster in August, he realized his own experience indicated major negligence and that those responsible should be punished.
DJ Sercan Ulutas, who traveled on May 16 with the ship that capsized off Girne in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), killing 8 people and leaving 20 missing, recounted his experiences. Ulutas, who shared cell phone footage of the voyage on his social media account, stated that he noticed the ship taking on water from the section where he was seated during the journey, saying, "The captain accelerated and a violent wave hit the ship. I jumped from my seat. The ship began taking on water. Thinking we had hit a rock, I reported the situation to the relevant authorities, but they said the situation was normal and that a wave had hit the ship."
The Turkish catamaran-type passenger ship, which set off on August 30 from Girne Port in the TRNC to Mersin's Tashucu Port, capsized and sank shortly afterward. In the accident, 8 people lost their lives, and 241 passengers were rescued. Search efforts for the 20 missing people continue.
ON THE DAY HE WENT TO PERFORM, THE SAME SHIP TOOK ON WATER AGAIN
DJ Sercan Ulutas, who traveled on the same ship from Tashucu to the TRNC on May 16 to perform on stage and shared cell phone footage of those moments on his social media account, described what he experienced during the journey. Ulutas stated that during the trip on May 16, the ship began taking on water in the section where he was located, saying, "During the journey, the captain accelerated and a violent wave hit the ship. I jumped from my seat. The ship began taking on water. Thinking we had hit a rock, I reported the situation to the relevant authorities, but they said the situation was normal and that a wave had hit the ship."
"ON THE RETURN, I GAVE UP TAKING THE FERRY AND TOOK A PLANE"
Sercan Ulutas, stating that the wave hit exactly where he was sitting, said, "Because the wave hit exactly the point where I was sitting, the other passengers around me didn't react much. Since the authorities also explained the ship's taking on water as normal, I also thought it was normal. However, the wave hit so violently that I experienced pain in my waist and hips during the incident. When I got off the ship, I experienced great fear. After this journey, on the return trip, I gave up taking the ship and returned by plane."
"I REALIZED THAT WHAT I EXPERIENCED WAS NOT NORMAL"
Ulutas stated that after the accident on August 30, some people who survived the ship contacted him, saying, "The wave hit from a point where, as I later learned, a patch had been applied. In this incident too, when the wave hit, that patched point opened up. An elderly woman was sitting there. The wave first threw that woman. Then it started taking on water. While the ship was trying to turn back, it ran aground. The flooded ship listed to its side. After what happened, I reconsidered my journey on May 16. This is not a normal situation. While I had experienced an incident 3 months earlier, people in this situation would have tried to reach the authorities. One doesn't know what to say. There is great negligence. It is a very sad event. Those responsible should face punishment. When I heard about the disaster, I realized that what I experienced was also not normal. This was definitely a situation that required precautions to be taken."