Türkiye locates ship sunk after collision off Silivri

Vessel located

Türkiye's National Defense Ministry announced on Friday that naval forces have located the commercial vessel Tugberk Imamoglu which sank following a collision off the coast of Istanbul's Silivri district earlier this week, confirming that search operations for the vessel and its missing crew remain ongoing.

In a statement issued Friday, the ministry confirmed that the TCG Akin rescue and towing ship has been operating at the accident site since Wednesday's collision. "The TCG Akin rescue and towing ship of our Naval Forces, which has been operating in the accident area since the first day, has located the sunken vessel," the ministry said, adding that naval forces "are continuing their work in a coordinated manner" to secure the site and recover any missing personnel.

Maritime accident

The Tugberk Imamoglu sank after colliding with another commercial vessel off Silivri on Wednesday, prompting an immediate search-and-rescue response from the Naval Forces Command. Authorities have not yet disclosed the total number of crew members aboard the sunken vessel or provided details regarding potential casualties from the incident, which occurred in waters near the Marmara Sea entrance.

The collision took place on Wednesday in the Silivri district, located on the western outskirts of Istanbul along the Sea of Marmara. Naval units have maintained continuous operations at the site since the vessel went down, with the TCG Akin serving as the primary rescue platform coordinating underwater search activities.