""Mystery & Release": Acar's Ghost Haunts Ship - or Was He Ever on It?

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 August 2024)

                              The plot sickens...

On 7 September 2022,  it was determined that Yiğit Acar (26), the 4th

machinist on the Liberian-flagged general cargo vessel "Dema M", 

which left the port of Suez in Egypt, destined for Porto, Portugal, was

not onboard the ship.  

As the vessel went through the Suez Canal and out into the open waters

of the Mediterranean Sea, searches by the crew failed to turn up Acar.

Search and rescue operations were commenced by the Turkish Ministry

of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,

but to no avail. 

The ship entered Turkish waters and the Tekirdağ public prosecutor took

samples from the cabin where Acar was (supposedly) staying but sample

taken by swipes off the bed were inconclusive with regard to Acar's DNA.

Acar's mother Arzu Acar wondered "Was my son really on the ship? Did

he board it?  We've heard nothing for 2 years.  They tell us there's no 

DNA.  Yet, the first captain told us that 'We locked his cabin because of

a judicial incident.'  Well, if the cabin was locked how is it that the police

didn't find any of his DNA, which doesn't break up for 8 or 9 months. 

Did my son ever stay in that cabin? Did he even board that ship? I'm

suspicious of everyone and everything."