Türkiye has deployed additional aircraft, helicopters and naval vessels to assist the search for 23 people still missing after a passenger ship capsized off the coast of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), President Tufan Erhurman said on Sunday.
Rescue teams have so far saved 237 people, while the bodies of seven victims have been recovered. The vessel was travelling from the coastal city of Kyrenia to Tasucu in southern Türkiye when it capsized.
Erhurman said four Turkish Cypriot Coast Guard vessels and two helicopters from the Security Forces Command began rescue operations immediately after the accident. Two Turkish Navy vessels already in the area for August 30 Victory Day celebrations subsequently joined the operation.
Türkiye has since expanded the search with two unmanned aerial vehicles and a CASA aircraft belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces. A Turkish Air Force helicopter, two Coast Guard helicopters and two additional Coast Guard vessels have also been deployed.
Further rescue equipment sent by Türkiye was transported to Kyrenia and put into operation as authorities intensified efforts to locate the missing.
Erhurman said the 237 survivors were in good condition, although two injured children had been admitted to intensive care as a precaution.
Authorities in Northern Cyprus and Türkiye have mobilised their available resources for the operation, with searches continuing by air and sea.
Erhurman described the capsizing as an unprecedented tragedy for Northern Cyprus and said the country was in “deep shock.”
He also thanked Türkiye for its rapid assistance, saying Ankara had mobilised its resources “from the very first minute” following the disaster.
The search for the 23 missing passengers remains underway.