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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhurman and Prime Minister Unal Ustel on Sunday, offering condolences over the sinking of a passenger ferry off Girne (Kyrenia) and pledging continued support for the search-and-rescue effort, according to the Turkish presidency.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said 240 of the 267 people aboard the ferry, 259 passengers and eight crew members, have been rescued, while eight have died and search teams are still working to locate 19 missing passengers.
The figures mark an update from earlier reports and reflect the most current official tally.
The vessel, the FILOJET, was sailing from Girne (Kyrenia) Port to Tasucu in Mersin province, southern Türkiye, when it began taking on water and capsized.
In a statement posted to social media, Uraloglu said Türkiye had mobilized its full resources following the sinking, including the Turkish Naval Forces, the TRNC Coast Guard, and Turkish Cypriot Coastal Safety and Ship Rescue teams.
He said the Turkish Coast Guard Command alone had deployed five vessels and two helicopters to the search area.
"The sinking of the passenger ferry Filojet, which left Girne (Kyrenia) Port to carry out its Tasucu voyage and sank after taking on water, has deeply saddened all of us," Uraloglu said, adding that search-and-rescue operations for the missing were continuing in coordination with TRNC authorities.
Speaking earlier Sunday at a graduation ceremony for military academy cadets in Ankara, Erdogan extended condolences to the Turkish Cypriot people and said Türkiye had launched large-scale search-and-rescue operations in cooperation with TRNC authorities immediately after the accident.
At the time of his remarks, he cited a toll of seven dead and 237 rescued, figures that were later updated by the transport minister.
"Search efforts to reach the missing are continuing without pause. God willing, we hope for positive news from these efforts," Erdogan said, adding that the state had mobilized all its resources and that he was following the process closely.
In Girne (Kyrenia), relatives of the missing gathered near the entrance to the port following the capsizing, maintaining a hopeful vigil as they awaited updates from officials on scene.
Former TRNC President Ersin Tatar visited the crisis desk set up to coordinate the response and sought to reassure families waiting at the port, saying Türkiye and the TRNC had mobilized all available resources for the search-and-rescue operation.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences over the sinking in a post on the social media platform X, expressing sorrow over the incident. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish government and the grieving families," Sharif said.
He said he was praying for the swift and safe recovery of those still missing and praised the ongoing search-and-rescue effort, adding that the people of Pakistan stood in solidarity with Türkiye during the difficult time.
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