The funeral of Halit Yukay cannot be held! The detail that is causing difficulties for the teams.

25.08.2025 22:43

The planned operations to recover the body of businessman Halit Yukay, whose boat set sail from Yalova to Bozcaada and was found broken and partially submerged, could not begin due to the winds and waves affecting the area. It was noted that the teams are waiting for the weather conditions to improve.

Businessman Halit Yukay set sail from Yalova to Bozcaada on August 4 at 15:10 with his own boat named 'Graywolf'. On the same day, after Yukay was reported missing, the Coast Guard teams were activated upon the notification of his relatives. While the teams started search operations, around 14:30 on August 5, a report was made about seeing partially submerged boat parts on the surface of the sea from a commercial ship sailing off the coast of Turanköy in the Kapıdağ Peninsula of Balıkesir's Erdek district.

FOUND IN A BROKEN STATE

The Coast Guard South Marmara Group Command teams went to the given coordinates. A search and rescue operation was initiated with 1 helicopter, 1 diving team, and 7 floating units belonging to the Coast Guard Command. The diving team also dove to the partially submerged boat, but no results were obtained from the searches. In the examination by the teams, it was determined that the serial number of the broken boat's engine matched that of Halit Yukay's boat. Underwater images of the boat that the Coast Guard South Marmara Group Command teams dove to showed that it was broken.

PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION

Yukay, who has a yacht shipyard and company in Yalova, and works as an engineer and chief designer in yacht production, was also seen leaving Yalova for Bozcaada. In the footage, Halit Yukay is seen departing from the port with his boat, while an expert examination was initiated on the broken 'Graywolf' boat, which was pulled to Ekinlik Island and lifted ashore with a crane, to determine the cause of the accident as part of the investigation conducted by the Marmara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

CAPTAIN OF THE CARGO SHIP ARRESTED

The captain of the cargo ship named 'Arel 7' (61), who is alleged to have collided with Yukay's broken boat and was detained in Yalova on charges of 'causing death by negligence', was released under judicial control and a travel ban. After the objection of the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, he was re-arrested in Istanbul.

SCRATCH MARKS IN FRONT OF THE SHIP

Radar movements of the ship alleged to have collided with Halit Yukay's broken yacht emerged, while the Coast Guard teams found scratch marks on the front of the cargo ship during their examination. The Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office scrutinized the ship traffic in the area and the route of 'Arel 7'. Two photographs showing the scratch marks on the ship were also included in the investigation file. In a photo taken a day before the accident in Çanakkale, no marks were seen on the front of the ship, while in a photo taken on August 5 in Izmit, where the ship was carrying its cargo, a distinct mark and impact on the front of 'Arel 7' drew attention.

PAINT RESIDUES MATCHED

As the investigation into how the scratches on the front of the 92-meter-long, 11-meter-wide ship occurred continued, samples taken from the area where the cargo ship had scratch marks and the part of Yukay's broken boat where marks were found were sent to the Bursa Criminal Police Laboratory Directorate. As a result of the examination, it was reported that the paint residues on the scratch marks in front of 'Arel 7' matched those of Halit Yukay's broken boat.

LAST SPOKE WITH HIM

Meanwhile, Yukay's actor friend Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ also gave a statement as a 'witness' in the investigation. It was noted that the actor, who also participated in the search efforts, was questioned in Istanbul regarding the investigation conducted by the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. In his statement, Tatlıtuğ mentioned that he spoke with Halit Yukay on the phone before the accident, and that the line suddenly cut off during their conversation, and he could not reach him again. It was also recorded that the investigation file was transferred to the Marmara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to a 'lack of jurisdiction' decision taken by the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

THE CORPSE WAS FOUND AT A DEPTH OF 68 METERS ON THE 19TH DAY

The search efforts conducted by the Coast Guard South Marmara Group Command, the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, the Samsun Police Department Marine Port Branch, the Çanakkale Police Department Marine Port Branch, the İzmir Police Department Marine Port Branch, and the Yalova Marine Port Branch teams reached Halit Yukay's lifeless body on the 19th day. In the area where the accident occurred, 7 miles off the coast of Erdek, at a depth of 68 meters, Halit Yukay's body was detected by the sea police using YTS devices and was also filmed with ROV. Around the body, plates belonging to the boat's engine and parts of the boat were also detected.

The operation to retrieve the body from the seabed was planned to be carried out in coordination with the Naval Forces Command to prevent the integrity of the body from being compromised. However, it was stated that after consultations, it was decided to retrieve the body with ROV.

ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAKE OPERATIONS DIFFICULT

Yesterday, the sea police, Coastal Safety, and Coast Guard teams could not conduct new underwater imaging due to unfavorable weather conditions, and today, due to strong winds and waves in the area, the teams could not start operations. As the wind's intensity decreases, the teams will begin operations to retrieve Yukay's body from where it was found using ROV, which can perform imaging and scanning up to a depth of 300 meters and can also bring detected objects to the surface with the help of a gripping arm attached to the mechanism. If no results are obtained with ROV, expert teams will be activated.