Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of the captain and third officer of an oil tanker that collided with a cargo ship in the Marmara Sea, causing it to sink and leaving ten crew members missing. The two men face charges of negligent homicide, according to a statement from the Silivri prosecutor's office on Friday.
The incident occurred before dawn on Thursday, when the empty tanker ALSU struck the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, a cargo vessel carrying rolled steel, about 18 nautical miles off the coast of Silivri, a district on the western edge of Istanbul province. The cargo ship sank rapidly in waters roughly 900 metres deep, and all ten of its crew remain unaccounted for.
Charges and court decision
The Silivri court charged the captain, identified only as A.E., with negligent homicide for failing to uphold his navigational safety duties. The third officer, M.E., who was serving as watch officer at the time, was accused of not taking timely and effective measures to prevent the collision. Four other suspects were released under judicial supervision, the prosecutor's office said.
According to a marine accident expert report prepared for the investigation, multiple safety lapses occurred aboard the tanker. The report, seen by the AFP news agency, concluded that "the fundamental root cause...resulting in a catastrophe, was the deficiencies and failures on the bridge of the M/T ALSU." It noted that an inexperienced third officer was left alone on watch, with no helmsman or lookout posted.
"No helmsman or lookout was posted on the bridge and the officer, who had only recently joined the vessel and lacked experience, was left alone on watch," the report said.
The report also pointed to shortcomings on the part of the cargo ship, though it did not elaborate in the excerpts available.
Search and rescue operations continued on Friday, but teams have yet to reach the wreckage of the Tuğberk İmamoğlu or locate its voyage data recorder, commonly known as the black box. The vessel lies at a depth that complicates recovery efforts.
This incident adds to a series of maritime safety concerns in the region. Earlier this year, a fatal ferry sinking off northern Cyprus prompted similar questions about vessel oversight. More broadly, the European Union has been stepping up enforcement against unsafe shipping practices, including boarding suspected shadow fleet tankers in the Mediterranean.
The Marmara Sea, a busy waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean, is a critical shipping lane. The collision has reignited debate about the adequacy of safety protocols on vessels transiting these waters, especially those carrying industrial cargo.
Prosecutors in Silivri are continuing their investigation, and further arrests or charges cannot be ruled out as the inquiry progresses. The families of the missing crew members await news, while maritime authorities face pressure to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.
