Turkish authorities are on alert following the disappearance of well-known businessman Halit Yukay, who has been reported missing since Saturday evening, when he set off on his yacht from Turkey to the Greek island of Mykonos.
The 43-year-old Turkish man's yacht was found severely damaged and half-sunken by the Turkish coast guard in the waters near the island of Prokonnisos in the Sea of Marmara.
Yukay's family raised the alarm after losing contact with him shortly after he set sail. The coast guard was officially notified at 11:40 p.m. on Monday, and on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., a merchant ship reported finding debris from a floating vessel. It was later confirmed to be the Turkish businessman's yacht, the Graywolf.
Professional divers, a helicopter, and coast guard vessels were deployed to search for him, but so far no trace of him has been found.
Investigations into the incident and the search for Yukay continue intensively.
Halit Yukay, born in 1982, is the founder and owner of the Turkish company Mazu Yachts, which manufactures luxury yachts. He started his career as a shipyard worker and realized his dream of starting his own company in 2011.
The Mazu Yachts company is known in Turkey for the modern designs and advanced technologies it uses in yacht construction.