Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ's testimony regarding Yukay's death emerges: 'A feeling came over me'

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ testified as a witness in the trial concerning the death of businessman Halit Yukay in a maritime accident in the Sea of Marmara. Tatlıtuğ, who was the last person to speak with Yukay on the phone, recounted what he knew about their final conversation, noting that they were planning to meet the next day.

Explaining that he had purchased a boat from Yukay and subsequently formed a very close friendship, Tatlıtuğ said: "On August 4, I had several phone conversations with the late Halit. We were planning a family vacation together. He, his wife, his children, myself, my wife, and my son were planning a holiday. On August 4, he set sail from Yalova in the afternoon and was going to stay in Bozcaada that evening. He planned to come to me the next day. If the weather conditions were bad, he would change his route and either head toward Çeşme or continue staying in Bozcaada. We had several phone calls back and forth. But as I understood it, he couldn't answer the phone while he was at the helm. Later, he called me back. We had a very short conversation. He was in very good spirits. He was in a very positive, upbeat state. We had a brief conversation."

"It had been cut off before"

Explaining that he had asked Yukay for his location, Tatlıtuğ said, "While talking to him on the phone, I told him he should share his location. I said, 'If you share your location, I will follow you. I want to track you from here too.' He said, 'Okay, I will send you the location,' and that was our last conversation. Then the signal was lost. When that signal was lost, I interpreted it in my own way. I said the signal was lost. We were on the road 10 days ago, too. There was a time when I couldn't reach a phone signal for nearly an hour. It could be cut off in that direction; he would call me again when he was available anyway."

"When my messages didn't go through, a feeling came over me"

Stating that a feeling came over him when the messages he sent did not reach Yukay, Tatlıtuğ said, "I called the person he worked with and who was also a close collaborator and friend. I called Eren and informed him of the situation. I said, 'There is such a situation. I cannot reach him, but I know we took this route 10 days ago and the phone might have been cut off. But just in case, let this information stay with you. I am giving you this information. If you reach him in the coming minutes, or if I do, let's consult again.' Following that, quite a bit of time passed. Then, worry and panic began. Meanwhile, information was passed along to law enforcement, maritime police, and land-based law enforcement. After that, search operations began. These are the details I can provide regarding this matter."

"He was not someone who would leave the helm unattended"

Stating that Halit Yukay was a professional boat operator, Tatlıtuğ said, "I personally observed many times that whenever I set out with the late Halit, he would not leave the helm. If there was a situation, he would hand over control of the helm to me. I know clearly that he was not someone who would ever leave the helm unattended without taking the necessary precautions. I am someone who personally knows he was a very experienced captain. In fact, beyond knowing that boat owners in the area and especially those to whom Halit had built boats reside in Istanbul, they would prefer to travel with Halit first; they felt safer when Halit was on the boat."

"In my view, this is murder"

Aliye Ayşım Yukay also said, "My lion-hearted son was 183 centimeters tall. He was a sailor, a man of the sea. This is something inhumane. As a result of this incident, my lion of a son passed away. Death can always happen at sea or on land. I cannot say anything to that. My son might have been at fault in the incident. However, I absolutely do not accept that they split my son's boat in two with a ship, maneuvered around it, and then left it there and sailed away. In my view, this is murder, and the defendants are killers. If a lifeboat had been lowered, if a notification had been made, my son could have been found immediately. My son waited at the bottom of the sea for 40 days."

Father Muhittin Can Yukay also stated that his son was a good sailor, saying, "My son had been operating boats since he was 10 years old. He was a good sailor. We traveled together and separately. My mind cannot grasp such an accident. My wife and I sit in the kitchen, and after a while, we look at each other and start crying. About 7 months have passed since the incident, but I still cannot wrap my head around it. We are trying to make sense of this incident, but we cannot. I think it was intentional."

In the indictment prepared by the Bandırma Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that ship captain Tokatlıoğlu be sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for 'causing death by negligence,' and that company official Arda G. (45) and ship crew members Ahmet S. (58), Erhan E. (52), İsa A. (52), Metin S. (50), Muhammet F.G. (27), Oğuzhan D. (27), Ramazan D. (56), and Tahir B. (60) each be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison for 'causing death by failing to fulfill the duty of assistance and notification.'