Search operations conclude for wreckage of ship sunk on August 30

On September 25, 2026, Unal Ustel, the leader of the administration in the occupied territories, announced the conclusion of search operations inside the wreckage of the ship that sank on August 30. During a meeting with the families of the victims and missing persons, authorities confirmed that every section of the vessel was accessed and inspected, with no further bodies recovered. The vessel was cut open during the recovery mission to ensure all compartments were thoroughly examined.

Ustel confirmed that the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) has been recovered and handed over to the police for forensic investigation. The technical details of the search, which involved Orhan Taktak, the owner of the Deep Water company, were presented to the families using recorded visual evidence. The search effort was noted as being conducted under extremely challenging conditions, particularly regarding the recovery of one body found last week.

Currently, nine suspects linked to the shipwreck remain in custody following a court-ordered extension of their detention. The families of the victims continue to call for justice as the legal proceedings move forward, and authorities now focus on analyzing the data from the recovered VDR to determine the exact circumstances of the disaster.