Recovery efforts continue following the Filo Jet shipwreck near Kyrenia

Search operations near the site of the Filo Jet catamaran, which sank off the coast of Kyrenia on August 30, 2026, have resulted in the recovery of three additional bodies. Two of the bodies were located one kilometer from the wreck at a depth of 570 meters, while a third was subsequently discovered. Authorities in the Turkish-occupied north, represented by Ünal Üstel, confirmed that the first two victims have been identified as 5-year-old Mehmet Asaf Biçer and an adult named Nihat Pançar. The 12-year-old sister of Mehmet Asaf Biçer remains among the missing.

Following these recoveries, the official death toll from the maritime disaster has risen to 18, with 10 individuals still unaccounted for. DNA analysis is being utilized to identify the remains of the third newly recovered body. Mr. Üstel emphasized that state-led recovery efforts, involving ships, aerial assets, and underwater search teams, will persist until all missing passengers are located. The administration has committed to notifying the families of the victims as soon as identification processes are concluded.