Captain charged in businessman’s fatal boat collision
BALIKESİR
Prosecutors are seeking up to nine years in prison for the captain of a dry-cargo ship that allegedly rammed and sank a yacht off Istanbul in August, killing renowned businessman and boat builder Halit Yukay as the vessel shattered.
The indictment, prepared by the chief prosecutor’s office in the northwestern city of Balıkesir's Erdek district, charges Cemal Tokatlıoğlu, 61, captain of the vessel Arel 7, with “causing death by negligence” and “failure to provide assistance or notification.” He faces a sentence ranging from three to nine years in prison.
Nine other crew members aboard Arel 7 also face one to three years in prison on similar charges for allegedly failing to render assistance following the fatal collision.
Yukay set sail with his private yacht for the Aegean island of Bozcaada on Aug. 4. When relatives lost contact with him, they alerted authorities, prompting a search operation off the Marmara Island.
Coast Guard footage showed Yukay’s yacht destroyed and partially submerged. Despite initial searches by diving teams, no immediate traces of him were found. Tokatlıoğlu was detained on Aug. 8 and later arrested following an appeal but was eventually released pending trial.
The businessman’s body was discovered on Aug. 23 at a depth of 68 meters after an extensive search. It was recovered on Sept. 3 and later identified through DNA analysis.
