Turkish prosecutors have issued an indictment seeking prison sentences for the captain and eight crew members of the cargo vessel Arel 7, allegedly involved in the fatal collision that claimed the life of yacht designer and Mazu Yachts co-founder Halit Yukay earlier this year.
Yukay disappeared on 4 August while sailing from Yalova, Turkey, to Mykonos aboard his 12.2-metre yacht Graywolf. After a 19-day search, his body was found at a depth of 68 metres, followed shortly by the discovery of the yacht’s wreckage.
Authorities launched an investigation into a suspected collision between Graywolf and the 92-metre cargo ship Arel 7. The ship’s captain, Cemal Tokatlıoğlu, was arrested on 10 August on charges of “causing death by negligence” but was later released pending trial.
A new 14-page indictment by the Bandırma Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office now seeks a three-to-nine-year sentence for Tokatlıoğlu, while eight crew members and a company official face one to three years for failing to assist or notify authorities after the incident. None of the defendants are currently in custody. The trial is expected to begin later this month.
Halit Yukay was a widely respected figure in the yachting world. Since founding Mazu Yachts in 2011, he helped build the brand’s reputation for innovative chase boats and semi-custom yachts, including the 24.9-metre Mazu 82 and the 40.2-metre flagship 132 DS. The yard’s recent successes include the award-nominated 28.5-metre Waterlily.
Tributes have poured in following his death. Turkish shipyard Mengi Yay described Yukay as a visionary whose passion for the sea will not be forgotten. Aleksandra Podlipna, founder of N41 Yachts, said: “It is heartbreaking to know that such a person has left us far too soon. He will be remembered not only for the yachts he built but for the authenticity and humanity he brought to everything he did.”
