Police investigating the Filo Jet ferry disaster have uncovered further evidence of serious mechanical problems aboard the vessel before it sank off Girne, killing 27 people. The revelations emerged during a court hearing on Friday, 16 October.
The latest evidence includes recordings of crew members discussing problems with the ferry's generators, steering and other equipment, as well as an email sent to company officials just two days before the disaster, whose contents investigators are still trying to recover.
Nine suspects, including the ferry's captain, engineering personnel, crew members and a company official, appeared before Girne District Court on Friday for the eighth hearing in the ongoing criminal investigation.
The court ordered that all nine remain in police custody for another seven days while investigators continue examining technical evidence and identifying others who may have information relevant to the case.
Police are now seeking seven additional people as part of their investigation.
The Filo Jet catamaran sank on 30 August while travelling from Girne in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) to Taşucu in Türkiye. Of the 279 people aboard, 239 were rescued alive, 27 have been confirmed dead and one passenger, three-year-old Anni Asel Hilaloğlu, remains missing.
Black box recordings reveal warnings about ferry's condition
During Friday's hearing, police presented further findings from the ferry's recovered voyage data recorder (VDR), commonly known as its black box.
Investigators told the court that the device contained recordings spanning 68 days, although only 12 days of material had been examined so far.
According to reports in Yenidüzen and Gündem Kıbrıs, the recordings include conversations between crew members about recurring mechanical faults, including generator and exhaust system problems, steering failures and difficulties obtaining replacement parts.
In one conversation, the second captain reportedly warned that the ferry required a complete overhaul.
Other recordings allegedly refer to steering problems that had brought the vessel dangerously close to other ships, while the captain was also heard expressing serious concerns about the condition of the ferry and its steering equipment.
Investigators are additionally examining references to an earlier incident near Yumurtalık, on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, when the vessel reportedly struck an object.
The recordings raise questions about how long the ferry had been experiencing mechanical problems, what action was taken to address them and whether it should have remained in passenger service.
Deleted emails and missing black box recordings
Another significant development concerns an email reportedly sent by the ferry's second captain, Merve Nur Seraslan, to four company officials on 28 August, two days before the sinking.
Police told the court that investigators had established the email was opened by its recipients, but its contents had subsequently been deleted and have not yet been recovered.
Digital forensic specialists are working to retrieve the message, which could help establish what concerns were communicated to company management before the disaster.
Investigators are also trying to determine why the ferry's black box stopped recording before its final voyage.
A technical report obtained from Türkiye indicates that both power connections to the VDR stopped supplying electricity at approximately 8.39pm on 28 August.
Consequently, the device contains no recordings of the ferry's final journey or the events immediately preceding the sinking.
Police are investigating whether the loss of power resulted from equipment failure or deliberate interference. Neither explanation has been established.
The court also heard that investigators had found no evidence that the vessel's mechanical problems had been reported to the Harbour Master's Office, despite requirements to notify the authorities of relevant defects.
Police widen investigation to seven more people
The criminal investigation is now extending beyond the nine suspects currently detained.
Police are seeking seven additional individuals, including a former captain believed to have been involved in the earlier incident near Yumurtalık and an engineer thought to have knowledge of the vessel's mechanical problems.
Investigators are also examining maintenance records, technical reports and communications between crew members and company management to establish whether safety concerns were properly addressed.
The investigation has yet to determine the precise cause of the sinking, and the allegations and evidence presented in court have not resulted in any findings of criminal guilt.
