Superficial repairs and licensing doubts emerge in Kyrenia ferry sinking case
The ferry that sank off Kyrenia’s coast last month had only undergone superficial repairs after a crack appeared on its left side, the Turkish Cypriot Kyrenia district court heard. Repairs were reportedly carried out by the captain and crew just 15 days after certification by Istanbul-based Turk Loydu as seaworthy, though the certificate's validity is now in question. Meanwhile, nine suspects, including the captain and crew members, face charges of causing death by negligence amidst the sinking that resulted in 14 confirmed deaths and 14 people still missing.
The court proceedings revealed additional concerns about the captain’s credentials. Mustafa Oz reportedly purchased a Honduran captain’s licence for $3,500 after his Turkish licence became invalid due to inactivity. Authorities are investigating the licence’s authenticity. Captured video footage shows the boat suffering fractures minutes before capsizing on August 30, shortly after departing Kyrenia port with 267 persons on board.
All suspects remain in custody pending further hearings. The investigation continues amid pressure from families of the missing, who gathered at the Kyrenia courthouse seeking answers about the tragedy and the circumstances of the ferry's sinking.
No news yet
CYPRadar is a state-of-the-art, AI-powered Cyprus news aggregator that automatically crawls, filters, and translates local updates in real time. By continuously scanning a wide range of trusted Cypriot media outlets, blogs, and official RSS feeds, the platform identifies original stories and uses advanced language models to filter out duplicate coverage. The service then generates concise, objective summaries, ensuring that readers get a quick and clear understanding of every significant event without information overload.
The primary mission of CYPRadar is to provide comprehensive, multi-language coverage of Cyprus news to keep both residents and international visitors well-informed. The platform covers key events across all major cities and districts, including Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, and Famagusta. By offering all updates simultaneously in five languages — English, Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, and Turkish — CYPRadar bridges communication gaps and ensures that everyone has equal access to critical local information, from policy changes to community events.
Follow police reports, crime statistics, and justice updates in Cyprus. Read about local law enforcement operations, safety measures, judicial court cases, road safety controls, and community policing initiatives.