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Turkish naval teams have located the Tugberk Imamoglu, a cargo ship that sank after colliding with another commercial vessel off Istanbul on Wednesday, as search-and-rescue operations for its 10-member crew continue.
The Turkish navy’s TCG Akin rescue and towing ship, which has been operating in the area since the first day of the accident, identified the sunken ship’s location, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"Our Naval Forces units continue their work in a coordinated manner," the ministry added.
Search-and-rescue teams remain active around the area where the Tugberk Imamoglu sank. The Coast Guard, General Directorate of Coastal Safety, Naval Forces, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency and Turkish Red Crescent are among the agencies involved in the operation.
The search involves 18 vessels, five helicopters, two unmanned aerial vehicles and one aircraft, as well as a naval vessel conducting underwater searches. A crisis center set up by Silivri’s Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Management is monitoring the operation in real time.
The Alsu, the other vessel involved in the collision, remains anchored off Silivri after escaping the crash without damage.
The collision occurred around 3 a.m. local time (GMT+3) on Wednesday, Sept. 2, about 18 nautical miles (35 kilometers) south of Silivri, when the Turkish-flagged Alsu tanker and Tugberk Imamoglu cargo ship collided in the Marmara Sea.
The Alsu was sailing empty from Kocaeli in northwestern Türkiye to Aliaga in western Türkiye, while the Tugberk Imamoglu was carrying 4199 tons of rolled steel from Iskenderun in southern Türkiye to Karadeniz Eregli on the Black Sea coast.
The Tugberk Imamoglu sank shortly after the collision, leaving its 10-member crew unaccounted for. The Alsu sustained no visible damage and remained in the area as authorities began a search-and-rescue operation.
The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial investigation to establish how the collision occurred and determine whether anyone was responsible. The investigation has led to the arrest of the Alsu’s first and third captains on charges linked to negligent deaths, while four other suspects were released under judicial-control measures.
The probe remains ongoing as authorities continue examining the vessels’ navigation data and other evidence.
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