The lack of a freighter and its crew off the Black Sea Port of Eregli final weekend is drawing new scrutiny on issues of safety in Turkey’s home fleet. The 3,000 dwt Kafkametler went adrift simply outdoors the harbor in a extreme storm, shortly after trying to take shelter, and drifted onto a breakwater. The vessel sank and no survivors have been discovered. 

Kafkametler had an in depth historical past of inspection deficiencies, and opposition Labor Party MP Ahmet Sik has requested the federal government’s transport minister to elucidate whether or not the ship was in full compliance on the time of the casualty. According to Sik, Kafkametler was identified to have hull deformation and did not meet requirements, although his claims can’t be verified. 

“Who gave the order and permission for the ship to leave the port despite the weather conditions?” requested Sik. 

In the weeks earlier than she was misplaced, Kafkametler visited a number of Russian ports within the Sea of Azov and northeastern Black Sea, broadcasting AIS intermittently. She returned to Turkish waters early on the 18th and journeyed previous Eregli, making for the small port of Karasu. Just as she arrived, she doubled again and returned to Eregli, the closest port with an enclosed harbor. A significant storm was approaching and a number of other ships had sheltered behind Eregli’s breakwaters.

Kafkametler’s closing trackline (Pole Star)

Kafkametler stopped outdoors the harbor as an alternative of trying to enter. AIS knowledge (offered by Pole Star) means that she anchored, then dragged anchor slowly to the north. Between 0620 and 0710 GMT, her place shifted all of the sudden to the opposite facet of the harbor entrance, and he or she was on the breakwater. This was the final transmission obtained. 

Rusya’n?n Temryuk Liman?’ndan ald??? yükü Alia?a’ya götüren Türk band?ral? “Kafkametler” gemisi f?rt?na nedeniyle Zonguldak Ere?li Liman? önlerine demirledi ancak askeri mendire?ine do?ru sürüklenip mendire?e çarparak batt?..
Kay?p 12 gemiciden 1’inin cans?z bedenine ula??ld?.. pic.twitter.com/on5skAJ59A

— ?S?G Meclisi (@isigmeclisi) November 21, 2023

The physique of 1 crewmember, recognized as cook dinner Metin Usta, 62, has been retrieved. Divers are trying to find the remaining 12 individuals who have been aboard. 

Two different vessels within the harbor additionally dragged anchor or broke free, together with the river-sea class freighter Pallada, which broke in half beneath the drive of the waves. A crewmember from Pallada shared a video of the scene on the bridge, displaying that the Pallada’s deckhouse was now not linked to the bow.

?kiye bölünen gemiden ac? ça?r?: “Gemi ortadan k?r?ld?, di?er taraf koptu gitti” Zonguldak’ta f?rt?nada mendire?e çarparak batan ‘Kafkametler’ isimli Türk gemisine ili?kin yeni görüntüler ortaya ç?kt? (odatv) #sondakika #haber #zonguldak pic.twitter.com/EzQzwV0ylH

— MediaPost (@xmedia_post) November 21, 2023