TRNC government waives court fees for those affected by the Filo Jet disaster

TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel announced three measures to support those affected by the Filo Jet ferry disaster and the families of those who died: free legal assistance and exemption from court fees, removal of stay-duration restrictions for foreigners, and free state healthcare until 30 August 2027.

Legal support will be provided by the Cyprus Turkish Bar Association: its lawyers will represent the victims and the relatives of those who died in proceedings related to the disaster. No court fees, stamp duty, document service, certification or court summons fees, or fees for expert and interpreter services will be charged in these cases.

“We will not add the financial burden of justice to the burden of grief carried by these people,” Ünal Üstel said.

The second measure concerns foreign nationals. Those affected and the relatives of those who died will not be required to leave the country when their permitted period of stay expires; previously, they would have had to follow the legal proceedings from thousands of kilometres away from the place of the hearing.

The third measure is free access to state healthcare until 30 August 2027 for everyone covered by the decision.

The Filo Jet ferry sank off Kyrenia. According to the latest data, 15 people died and another 13 remain missing; Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı was dismissed, while the Kyrenia court extended the detention of nine people involved in the case.