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The radar movements of a cargo ship suspected of colliding with a yacht near Türkiye’s Marmara Island have come under scrutiny, as the search continues for missing Turkish businessman Halit Yukay. Marine Traffic data showed that the Arel 7, a dry cargo vessel, made a suspicious reverse maneuver close to the area where Yukay’s shattered yacht was later found.
The yacht Graywolf, owned by Yukay, was discovered broken into pieces off Marmara Island, a location in the northern Aegean Sea between Istanbul and Canakkale. Yukay, who had reportedly been heading to Athens to pick up his Greek-origin wife and child, has not been found despite ongoing search operations since the accident on August 4.
The captain of Arel 7, identified only as C.T., was taken into custody on suspicion of negligent homicide but was later released under judicial control by a court in Yalova. The dry cargo ship had departed from Canakkale earlier that day.
According to satellite-based ship tracking data, Arel 7 made a distinct reverse maneuver while sailing off Marmara Island—coinciding with the location where the yacht wreckage was discovered. In his statement, the captain said he had started his watch at 4.30 p.m. local time, and around 5:00 p.m., noticed a jolt while navigating alone as other crew members had gone to dinner.
"I passed through two pieces I thought were just wood," he said. "A little later, I turned the vessel around because I did not feel at ease." He added that he spotted a life buoy in the water and later called his company to report what he had seen.
The captain admitted that he did not inform the coast guard, saying, “At the time, I thought those wooden pieces had nothing to do with us. If there had been a collision, we would’ve definitely heard or felt it.”
Despite his claims, investigators later found traces of the yacht Graywolf on board the Arel 7, strengthening suspicions of a possible collision. After making its reverse maneuver, the vessel continued on to the coastal city of Yalova and eventually anchored off the district of Ciftlikkoy.
New footage has since emerged showing the captain of the Arel 7 inspecting the front section of his vessel while it was docked in port. The images, captured by security cameras, are part of the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office investigation into the suspected collision.
Photographs included in the case file reportedly show the cargo ship’s bow without any visible damage before departing from Canakkale, but later displaying what are believed to be impact marks after arriving at a port in Kocaeli.
The shipping company that operates the Arel 7 has issued a statement denying the serious accusations against its personnel, saying it wished “to share with the public that we reject the heavy allegations directed at our crew.”
While the captain, 61-year-old C.T., was initially released under judicial control following his arrest on August 7, 2025, he was later re-arrested in Istanbul on August 10 at the request of prosecutors and has since been formally detained.
Search efforts for businessman Halit Yukay, whose yacht Graywolf was found shattered off Marmara Island, are continuing.
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