The Insurance Costs of the Girne and Silivri Ship Accidents

The insurance consequences of the ship accidents near Girne and Silivri are becoming clearer, and the article identifies a common cause: mistakes and negligence by captains and crews.

The Filo Jet, a catamaran passenger vessel operated by Filo Denizcilik, reportedly sailed despite earlier damage and repairs. Experts told the writer that vessels of this type should generally operate in inland and calm waters, not on the route between Girne and Mersin. Although the ship had been certified by Türk Loydu as meeting standards, the classification society has reportedly begun its own internal review.

The captain’s license is another central issue. The captain reportedly obtained a Honduran license for money. Turkey does not recognize that license, while the Turkish Cypriot administration recognized it. The article says the captain should not have operated the vessel and Filo Denizcilik should not have assigned him to it.

The Filo Jet had hull insurance worth 1.5 million euros with a Turkish insurer. Its compulsory protection and indemnity insurance, known as P&I cover, was provided by Türk P&I Sigorta. That policy covers liabilities involving other vessels, passengers, crew and environmental damage. The maximum death compensation for passengers killed in the Girne accident is reported as 15 million Turkish lira, or about $320,000. The article estimates the total insurance payment at $10 million.

The Silivri accident involved the commercial vessels Alsu, owned by Özpulathane Deniz Taşımacılığı, and Tuğberk İmamoğlu, owned by İmamoğlu Denizcilik. The Tuğberk İmamoğlu sank. According to the expert report, the main cause was the absence of the Alsu’s captain, who left the bridge to inexperienced personnel.

The Tuğberk İmamoğlu’s liability insurance was also issued by Türk P&I Sigorta, while its hull was insured by Romania-based CEE Specialty. The Alsu had liability insurance from Britain. The article says the Silivri policy also covers cargo valued at $4.5 million, as well as crew-related liabilities, while searches for missing people and investigations into responsibility continue.