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New details have emerged from an investigation into the deadly collision that destroyed the yacht of Turkish businessman Halit Yukay in the Marmara Sea earlier this month. Testimonies from the crew of the cargo ship Arel 7, suspected of striking the yacht, suggest that the accident occurred while the sailors were preoccupied with a barbecue on deck, leaving the vessel’s helm unattended.
On Aug. 4, Yukay set sail from Yalova aboard his yacht Graywolf, planning to reach Bozcaada in the northern Aegean. His yacht was later found shattered and half-submerged off Marmara Island. After 19 days of search operations, navy divers recovered Yukay’s body at a depth of 68 meters.
Court documents show that the Arel 7, carrying cement from Canakkale to Kocaeli, experienced a sudden jolt near Marmara Island on the same day. Crew members later admitted in their statements that they had been focused on cooking chicken on a makeshift grill at the stern.
One seaman recalled: “I went below to bring food when I felt a vibration. When I came back up, I saw debris on the water that looked like yacht fragments. I filmed the pieces with my phone while the second officer was standing next to me. The supervising officer was aware, so I did not report it elsewhere.”
Another sailor confirmed that the entire crew rushed to the deck after noticing wreckage, but said no one called for help, assuming that the ship’s officer in charge would handle it.
Prosecutors have placed the ship’s captain, second captain, and seven other crew members under investigation. The captain and his deputy face charges of “causing death by negligence,” while the rest may be prosecuted for “failing to report a crime.” Investigators suspect that the captain had switched the vessel to “automatic pilot” mode before leaving the bridge, without assigning a lookout.
A record from Türkiye’s emergency service also entered the case file. It shows that the wife of one crew member had phoned 112 (primary emergency number in Türkiye), claiming: “My husband’s ship struck something, but the captain told the crew to stay silent.” Although she later retracted her statement, prosecutors are treating it as evidence.
Experts have confirmed that samples taken from the ship’s damaged bow match paint layers from Yukay’s yacht, strengthening the suspicion of a collision. Investigators also retrieved a navigation console—often described as a vessel’s “black box”—from the wreckage of the Graywolf. Since the device was too damaged to be read in Türkiye, it has been sent abroad for further examination.
As the investigation continues, prosecutors are working to determine the full scope of responsibility for the incident that cost Halit Yukay his life.
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