Turkey Detains ALSU Crew After Marmara Collision Left 10 Missing

Turkish prosecutors detained nine of the ALSU's ten crew members on September 3, a day after the tanker collided with the cargo ship TUGBERK IMAMOGLU in the Sea of Marmara. No survivors have been found. All ten crew members of the cargo ship are missing.

The collision occurred at around 03:15 on September 2, roughly 18 nautical miles south of Silivri. Investigators said the cargo ship sank within ten minutes of impact. Search teams deployed fifteen ships, five helicopters, two drones and one aircraft; only debris was recovered.

An initial expert report placed the blame on the tanker. Prosecutors cited multiple safety breaches aboard the ALSU: an inexperienced officer was alone on the bridge without a lookout or helmsman, and the tanker made no effort to slow or reverse its engines. Blood tests on the detained crew were ongoing; preliminary alcohol tests came back negative.

Investigators said the TUGBERK IMAMOGLU had a non-functional AIS transponder and turned sharply to starboard when the two ships were within half a nautical mile of each other. Radio records showed both captains had spoken before the collision. Turkish authorities ordered the ALSU to anchor and called in divers to survey the wreck.