Turkey pays homage to tugboat accident victims

İZMİR - Anadolu Agency

Ten people, eight soldiers and two workers, died while 17 others were wounded after a tugboat capsized in İzmir on Dec. 23. DHA photo

Families, friends and colleagues of tugboat accident victims have bid farewell to their loved ones in a military funeral staged at a yard in the Aegean province of Izmir, where they passed away on Dec. 23.

Ten people, eight soldiers and two workers, died while 17 others were wounded after a tugboat capsized in İzmir on Dec. 23.

The TCG Değirmendere tugboat capsized as it was being put back to sea after undergoing maintenance in the Alabey Military Shipbuilding Yard.

Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay, Navy Cmdr. Bülent Bostanoğlu, İzmir Gov. Mustafa Toprak also attended the farewell ceremony which was closed to the press.

The bodies of the victims were sent to their hometowns, where they are expected to be laid to rest by their families Dec. 25.

Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel released an obituary notice for each of the victims.

“I wish patience and give condolences to the sorrowful family and relatives of our heroic personnel in the name of me and the Turkish Armed Forces,” the notice published in newspapers yesterday read.

Meanwhile, a military investigation has been launched to determine the reason for the accident.

Engineers working in the Gölcük Shipbuilding Yard in the northwestern province of İzmit have reportedly come to İzmir as part of the probe.