Tuğberk İmamoğlu cargo ship sinks after Marmara Sea collision

ship collision Marmara Sea missing crew Tuğberk İmamoğlu search and rescue

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels, the Tuğberk İmamoğlu and the Alsu, collided in the Sea of Marmara near Silivri at approximately 03:00 on September 2, 2026. The collision occurred roughly 18 nautical miles south of Silivri in waters approximately 800 to 900 meters deep.

The Tuğberk İmamoğlu, a cargo ship carrying steel and construction materials, is believed to have sunk within 11 minutes of the collision. Authorities have lost contact with the vessel and its 10-person crew, all of whom are Turkish nationals. Search and rescue operations are currently underway, involving 14 maritime units, a Coast Guard helicopter, and the Alsu tanker, which sustained no visible damage.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed that an emergency signal was received via the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system at 03:26. The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the incident, ordering the seizure of digital records, navigation data, and communication logs from both vessels to determine the cause of the collision.

Entities

ALSU · Abdulkadir Uraloğlu · Alsu · Antalya NAVTEX Station · Antalya Station · Greece · Heraklion NAVTEX Station · Istanbul Governor's Office · Marmara Sea · R/V TÜBİTAK MARMARA · Sea of Marmara · Silivri

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 15 SOURCES] Turkey issued NAVTEX 0862/26 through the Antalya station to designate a maritime area for research. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] The Turkish maritime area reservation is set for a duration of 15 days. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] The Heraklion NAVTEX station holds exclusive authority to broadcast messages in the specified maritime area. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] Greece issued an anti-NAVTEX through the Heraklion station to contest Turkish maritime claims. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] Greece asserts that one of the positions defined in the Turkish NAVTEX lies over the Greek continental shelf. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 15 SOURCES] The Turkish research vessel R/V TÜBİTAK MARMARA is scheduled to conduct scientific research in the area. myportal.gr · www.mononews.gr · pelop.gr
[● 5 SOURCES] The Greek Coast Guard and Navy are conducting surveillance of the area. myportal.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The vessel Alsu sustained no visible structural damage. www.ogunhaber.com · www.korkusuz.com.tr · srnnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Search and rescue operations involve the Coast Guard, General Directorate of Coastal Safety, and helicopters. www.ogunhaber.com · www.korkusuz.com.tr · srnnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The collision occurred approximately 18 to 20 miles south of Silivri. www.ogunhaber.com · www.korkusuz.com.tr · srnnews.com
[● 34 SOURCES] Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided in the Marmara Sea at approximately 03:00 on September 2, 2026. www.ogunhaber.com · www.korkusuz.com.tr · srnnews.com · cretaone.gr · www.e-radio.gr · +22 more
[● 35 SOURCES] All contact has been lost with the Tuğberk İmamoğlu and its 10-person crew. www.ogunhaber.com · www.korkusuz.com.tr · srnnews.com · cretaone.gr · www.e-radio.gr · +23 more