Filo Jet, which sank off Kyrenia, had already sunk in 2003; 29 defects found on the vessel in 2018

Official records, court rulings and technical reports covering the 26-year history of the Filo Jet catamaran, which sank off Kyrenia with 267 people on board, show that the vessel had already sustained serious damage and that the classification society had recorded dozens of unresolved defects.

The vessel was built in 2000 at the Iris Catamarans shipyard in La Rochelle, France, and until recently was named Iris Jet. It is 42.80 metres long, has a service speed of 35 knots, and a passenger capacity of 320 people, according to the international Shippax database.

According to documents from the French Court of Cassation, on 26 October 2003 the vessel struck a pier bow-first while berthing at the Turkish port of Taşucu. The repairs were not carried out, operations continued, and on 5 November of the same year serious water ingress began on board, after which the voyages were suspended. The vessel then remained under arrest in Taşucu for years, and in March 2008 it was put up for auction with an estimated value of $2,425,000.

In 2018, while preparing the vessel for sale, the Turkish classification society Türk Loydu inspected it three times: in Bodrum, on the Greek island of Kos and during sea trials at the port of Antalya. The report recorded 29 defects and non-compliances, and all of them remained unresolved on all three occasions. During the trials, thick smoke was coming from the exhaust system of the starboard main engine, while a service report indicated that both engines required a complete overhaul.

The Istanbul 17th Commercial Court of First Instance accepted the expert’s opinion that the vessel could not be classified or entered in the Turkish Ship Registry until these deficiencies were remedied. The court ruled that the €3,750,000 sale and purchase agreement had not been performed and ordered the return of the €549,350 advance payment to the buyer.

Filo Denizcilik bought the vessel in 2024. Police told the Kyrenia court that Türk Loydu had carried out the vessel’s last technical inspection on 2 June 2026, that it had permits from the TRNC Port Authority and clearance to sail in international waters, and that the meteorological service had issued a favourable forecast on the day of the voyage.