Prosecutors are seeking up to nine years in prison for the captain of a dry-cargo ship that allegedly rammed and sank the yacht belonging to boat builder Halit Yukay off Istanbul in August.
The incident killed Yukay, founder of Mazu Yachts, as his yacht Graywolf was destroyed and partially submerged as a result of the collision.
The indictment has been prepared by the chief prosecutor’s office in the northwestern city of Turkey’s Balıkesir’s Erdek district and charges Cemal Tokatlıoğlu, 61, captain of the vessel Arel 7, with “causing death by negligence” and “failure to provide assistance or notification.”
The indictment indicates that Tokatlıoğlu failed to keep proper watch. He could face a sentence ranging from three to nine years in prison.
Knowing the collision occurred
Nine other crew members aboard the Arel 7 also face between one to three years in prison on similar charges for allegedly failing to render assistance following the fatal collision and look for Yukay, despite knowing a collision occurred.
The accident was not reported to authorities either.
Tokatlıoğlu was detained on August 8 and later arrested following an appeal but was released pending trial.
Yukay set sail on board his yacht Graywolf for the Aegean island of Bozcaada on August 4 2025.
When relatives lost contact with him, they alerted authorities, prompting an intensive search operation off the Marmara Island.
Necessary lookout duties
Coast Guard footage showed Yukay’s yacht destroyed and partially submerged. Despite initial searches by diving teams, no immediate traces of him were found.
Yukay’s body was discovered on August 23 at a depth of 68 meters after an extensive search. It was recovered on September 3 and identified through DNA analysis.
Testimonies have revealed that Yukay was on the phone to a friend when the collision occurred and himself not keeping a proper lookout.
However, the indictment states that ‘the accident occurred due to the failure of the commercial ship to perform the necessary lookout duties while Halit Yukay was traveling at high speed’.
The indictment continues: “This situation has been evaluated as the main technical cause of the accident.”
The trial is set to start later in December 2025.
