Arıklı: I Will Take Action if Ministry Is Found to Have Been Negligent

Arıklı referred questions over the vessel’s certification, the captain’s qualifications and Honduras-issued documents to the Department of Ports, which is expected to issue a detailed statement.

Arıklı addressed questions about the catamaran that sank off Kyrenia during the Güne Dair programme, hosted by Nazar Erişkin and broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

The programme examined issues concerning the vessel and the captain’s qualifications, as well as administrative and political responsibility, based on documents previously released by Arıklı and checks against publicly available and international records.

Records showing that the vessel had suffered serious damage in 2003 were also discussed. Arıklı said the vessel had undergone extensive repairs at Akdeniz Shipyard and that the work had been inspected by Türk Loydu. He said he had a detailed report on the repairs.

Erişkin said the certificate number shared by Arıklı appeared as “INVALID” when checked through Türk Loydu’s own system and asked why this was the case. Arıklı said vessels were inspected annually but did not provide a clear explanation as to why the particular certificate appeared as invalid.

HONDURAS DOCUMENT AND CAPTAIN’S QUALIFICATIONS

The captain’s qualifications and documentation were also extensively discussed.

Erişkin questioned Arıklı about the Honduras-issued certificate shared by the minister, as well as international concerns over the reliability of Honduras’ maritime certification and the fact that Honduras does not appear on Turkey’s current list of countries covered by STCW recognition protocols.

Arıklı said foreign certificates were verified through the relevant country and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), but referred questions over the legal and technical basis on which the Honduras certificate was recognized in the TRNC to the Department of Ports. He said the department would issue a detailed statement on the matter.

Another detail on the captain’s certificate was also raised during the programme. The document indicates a qualification for vessels of “3,000 gross tons and above”, while official records reportedly show that the sunken catamaran had a gross tonnage of approximately 339 tons.

Asked whether the qualification was sufficient to operate a 339-gross-ton high-speed passenger catamaran, Arıklı gave the example of a person with a heavy-vehicle licence being able to drive a smaller vehicle, while acknowledging that he was not an expert and leaving the technical assessment to specialists.

MISSING PERSONS, CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND CALLS FOR RESIGNATIONS

The programme also addressed discrepancies in the number of people reported missing at different stages and difficulties faced by relatives in obtaining information.

Arıklı said some rescued passengers had left the area without going to hospital and that authorities had faced difficulties verifying names during the first hours following the disaster. He acknowledged that relatives of missing people were justified in their reactions.

Asked about the government’s crisis management and calls for his resignation, Arıklı said: “If it is established that there was clear negligence or fault on the part of the ministry, I will do what is necessary,” indicating that he would not shy away from political responsibility if wrongdoing were established.

Arıklı was also directly asked whether any shareholders of Filo Denizcilik were affiliated with the Rebirth Party (YDP) or the party itself. He said he did not know the company’s shareholders and would investigate the allegation himself.

Three key questions now remain at the centre of the investigation: Why does the Türk Loydu certificate shared by the minister appear as “INVALID”? Through what verification and recognition procedures was the Honduras-issued captain’s certificate accepted as valid in the TRNC? And was a qualification marked “3,000 gross tons and above” sufficient to operate a 339-gross-ton high-speed passenger catamaran?

Arıklı pointed to the Department of Ports, under his ministry, for answers to many of these questions, with the department expected to issue a statement today.