The death toll from the Filo Jet shipwreck off Kyrenia has risen to 10 following the recovery of another body, Turkish Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz announced on Thursday.
Speaking at the Tymbou airport before departing the north, Yılmaz said the victim's identity would be released after the completion of the identification process.
He added that, given the intensive efforts under way, additional bodies may yet be recovered.
Search operation continues
Yılmaz, who paid a brief visit to the occupied north following the disaster, held a joint press conference with "prime minister" Ünal Üstel.
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims and missing passengers, he said Turkey had been closely monitoring developments since the first moments of the tragedy and had mobilised all available resources under the direction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to Yılmaz, he received detailed briefings from the relevant authorities on the progress of search-and-rescue operations and the ongoing investigation into the sinking.
He also met relatives of the missing and listened to their concerns, expectations and suggestions.
Three priorities
Yılmaz said a large-scale search-and-rescue operation continues on a 24-hour basis.
He noted that the commander of the Turkish Navy was personally overseeing ongoing operations at sea.
According to Yılmaz, a crisis-management centre established at Turkey's embassy in north Nicosia is coordinating support for victims and their families, including assistance with medical treatment, accommodation, transport and documentation.
He identified three key priorities:
- The continuation of intensive search-and-rescue efforts.
- Determining responsibility for the disaster.
- Identifying weaknesses in the system and introducing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Yılmaz also pledged continued Turkish support throughout the search operation, investigation process and subsequent assistance to affected families.
Judicial cooperation
Referring to judicial cooperation between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot administration, Yılmaz said a formal agreement was in place and that authorities in the north had already submitted a request to Turkey's Ministry of Justice.
He said preparations would be completed as quickly as possible to provide the technical support required for the investigation.
Üstel: Turkey has stood by us
In his own remarks, Üstel expressed condolences over the maritime disaster in the Sea of Marmara and voiced hope that those still missing would be located as soon as possible.
"We hope to find the missing persons here and there as soon as possible and heal the wounds caused by these disasters in the shortest possible time," he said.
Üstel said the visit had reinforced the feeling among Turkish Cypriots that they were not alone and expressed confidence that, with Turkey's support, they would overcome the crisis.
He described relations between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot administration as a brotherly bond.
"From the first moment of the tragedy, our motherland Turkey has been by our side," he said.
Source: CNA
