Turkey arrests tanker captain after vessel collision near Istanbul
A court in Turkey’s Silivri arrested the captain of the ALSU oil tanker and his third officer in the case concerning a collision with the cargo vessel Tugberk Imamoglu in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul. After the accident, the cargo vessel sank, and 10 members of its crew are considered missing.
As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing AFP, the court decided to arrest them on the evening of September 3 — the day after the collision, which occurred before dawn. The empty ALSU tanker collided with the Tugberk Imamoglu, which was carrying rolled steel.
Court decision and detentions
According to Turkey’s DHA agency, four more suspects were released under conditions set by the court. Details regarding the grounds for the arrest of the captain and the third officer were not immediately disclosed.
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The state-run Anadolu agency reported that police detained and questioned nine ALSU crew members, excluding the cook. Six of them appeared before the court on September 3.
Search for sailors
Officials said the damaged cargo vessel sank “very quickly” in waters about 900 meters deep. The collision site is located approximately 18 nautical miles from Silivri, which lies in the west of Istanbul Province.
Rescuers have not yet found the voyage data recorder of the Tugberk Imamoglu — the vessel’s so-called “black box.” An expert report prepared for the Silivri prosecutor’s office cites numerous safety procedure violations on the tanker and states that shortcomings and errors on the ALSU’s bridge were the main cause of the disaster. At the same time, the report’s authors also pointed to shortcomings on the part of the cargo vessel. The search and rescue operation continued on September 4.
