Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ Headed to Court: He’ll Be Heard as a Witness

The case surrounding the death of 43-year-old businessman Halit Yukay — who lost his life in a tragic incident off the coast of Erdek, Balıkesir on August 4 — continues at the Erdek 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

The first hearing, held on December 31, 2025, lasted nearly 11 hours. After the lengthy session, the court issued a notable interim decision: Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, the famous actor and a close friend of Yukay, will be heard as a witness. The reason? He was reportedly the last person Yukay spoke to on the phone shortly before the accident.

According to case files, Yukay set off from Yalova toward Bozcaada on his boat named Graywolf. The vessel was later found broken apart and partially sunk in the Marmara Sea. After days of intense search efforts, Yukay’s body was located at a depth of 68 meters off the coast of Erdek and recovered 30 days later by divers aboard the TCG Alemdar.

During the investigation, authorities pointed to a dry cargo ship named Arel 7 as the vessel that allegedly collided with Yukay’s boat. Forensic reports confirmed that scuff marks on the ship’s bow matched paint residue found on the damaged boat, and radar and camera footage were also added to the evidence file.

Ten defendants are currently on trial without detention. The ship’s captain, Cemal Tokatlıoğlu, faces a possible 3 to 9 years in prison on charges of “causing death by negligence,” while the other nine defendants could receive 1 to 3 years for “failing to fulfill the duty to assist and report.”

During the hearing, Tokatlıoğlu denied that any collision took place, saying he thought the debris in the water was “trash.” Yukay’s family lawyer criticized the defendants’ denials and requested arrests, but the court rejected the motion while keeping the captain’s travel ban in place.

His Wife Will Also Testify

The court also ruled that Yukay’s wife, Rania Stypa Yukay, will give testimony via SEGBİS (Turkey’s video hearing system), and ordered missing documents to be completed before adjourning the case.

As for Tatlıtuğ, his testimony is being requested so the statement he gave during the investigation phase can be reviewed again within the trial process — a development that some believe could significantly impact the direction of the case.