Turkish captain killed at Indian Ocean is buried in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A captain of a Turkish-flagged cargo vessel sailing in the Indian Ocean was stabbed to death by the vessel’s greaser on Dec. 20. Two crew members who wanted to neutralize the murderer also were injured with knife strokes.

The vessel was at the sea after receiving its cargo from Semeran Port of Indonesia.

Forty-two-year-old Capt. Bora Ekşi, who graduated from İTÜ (Istanbul Technical University) Maritime Faculty in 1998, was killed while trying to break up a fight between the crew members, according to reports.

In the aftermath of the incident, the owner of the ship İnce Denizcilik issued a statement.

“All the necessary notifications were made to the Turkish Consulate and legal authorities. As of now, the Indian Coast Guard seized the situation and made the first response to the wounded, and they do not have a risk of death,” it said in the statement.

“Indian Coast Guard has boarded the ship, and the nearest suitable port has been searched for further judicial proceedings and medical examinations,” it noted.

“The suspect, who are thought to have family and financial problems, has been supported by the deceased captain during the time he was on board and tried to be integrated to the society,” it added.

Meanwhile, due to the legal and port restrictions of the countries, it was decided to direct the ship to Colombo port of Sri Lanka, according to Demirören News Agency.

While the ship was heading towards Sri Lanka, the murderer, who had been neutralized, was tied up on a bed with his hands and arms.

The body of Ekşi, which was brought to Istanbul Airport from the Colombo on Dec. 24, was taken by Ekşi’s father and his relatives.

After the autopsy at the Forensic Medicine Institute, Ekşi’s body was buried in İstanbul’s Üsküdar district.