Search operations for prominent Turkish businessman Halit Yukay, who had gone missing 19 days ago, came to a tragic end on Monday, as Greek authorities recovered his body.

The 43-year-old founder and owner of Mazu Yachts, a company known for producing luxury yachts that combine high-end design with advanced technology, had set sail on August 4th from southwestern Turkey, bound for the Greek island of Mykonos.

The shipwreck of the Turkish businessman’s yacht was subsequently spotted a little after he was declared missing.

Greek authorities are exploring the possibility that his vessel might have collided with cargo ship Arel 7, whose captain was arrested on August 10th, two days after the businessman was reported missing.

The 61-year-old captain of Arel 7 was taken into custody on charges of negligent homicide before being released on probation. He was subsequently re-arrested in Turkey following an appeal by the competent prosecutor.

Following an on-the-spot inspection and a close examination of the port’s surveillance cameras, it was revealed that the bow of the cargo ship had scratches on the bow, leading authorities to detain the captain anew. The entrepreneur was married to a Greek woman with whom he had a child.

Halit Yukay earned wide respect in the fields of shipbuilding and yachting. In 2011, he founded Mazu Yachts, which began with support vessels before quickly establishing itself in the semi-custom yacht market.

The company went on to introduce models such as the 24.9-meter Mazu 82 and its flagship, the 40.2-meter 132 DS, while also receiving recognition for the 28.5-meter Waterlily, a finalist at the BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards 2024.