So far, no one has taken official responsibility for the attack that led to the sinking of the Turkish fishing boat “Duru 67“ on June 5 in the Black Sea.
The incident occurred west of the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula. One Turkish sailor was killed in the attack, and four others were seriously injured by shrapnel.
The injured crew was initially picked up by another nearby Turkish fishing trawler – – “Burak Kaya“. The most seriously injured fisherman died during the voyage to Turkey. A Turkish Coast Guard vessel (TCSG-96), carrying an emergency medical team of doctors and paramedics, met the rescue ship 115 nautical miles north of the Turkish port of Inebolu. Emergency surgery was performed at sea on board the military boat to stabilize one of the injured.
The survivors were transported to the University Hospital in the city of Kastamonu for further treatment.
The Turkish military and coast guard have not yet specified the type of weapon (missile strike, artillery fire or naval drone) and have not named a specific perpetrator.
Since the incident occurred in an area of active hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, the area is subject to regular mutual attacks. Just a day earlier, an incident involving an exploded naval drone was also reported in the Romanian port of Constanta.
The government in Ankara has been extremely cautious about the incident, avoiding direct accusations without irrefutable evidence. Back in late May, after a similar incident in which a Turkish cargo ship was hit in an attack in the Black Sea, the Turkish Foreign Ministry officially warned of the danger of an “uncontrollable escalation“ in the region and conveyed its concerns to all parties involved at all levels.
The country's media, including the state-run Anadolu Agency, are following the case with great intensity.
There is serious concern among the fishing sector in northern Turkey, as the security of shipping in the Black Sea is critically threatened by the ongoing war in Ukraine.