A Palau-flagged dry cargo ship ran aground along Turkey’s Sea of Marmara coast after drifting in strong winds. The incident took place off the Marmaraereğlisi district of Tekirdağ, close to Santos Beach, a local tourist area.

The vessel, White Line, grounded at around 2:30 pm local time on Saturday, December 30, while attempting to approach Martaş Port to load cargo.

Per reports, the ship had arrived off the port earlier and dropped anchor, but later drifted from its position due to severe weather before running aground near the sandy shoreline.

Local reports indicated that the area was affected by a strong windstorm at the time. Authorities confirmed that nine crew members were on board the vessel when it grounded. No injuries or pollution were reported.

Following the incident, teams from the Turkish Coast Guard Command, the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, the Port Authority, and marine police were sent to the scene. The search and rescue vessel Tahlisiye 12 remained near the ship as a safety measure.

Officials said that rough sea conditions initially prevented divers from carrying out an underwater inspection. Once conditions improved, specialist teams conducted damage checks with the support of divers to assess the ship’s underwater structure.

Tekirdağ’ın Marmaraereğlisi ilçesinde Palau bayraklı kuru yük gemisi, kuvvetli fırtına nedeniyle karaya oturdu. pic.twitter.com/dUp6ChwNue

— A Haber (@ahaber) January 3, 2026

Authorities stated that refloating or towing operations would only begin when weather and sea conditions allow safe intervention.

As of Monday, the ship remained aground, with authorities continuing to monitor the situation while waiting for calmer seas. Officials stated that strong winds and rough surface conditions were affecting both the vessel’s position and the safety of rescue operations.

The White Line is a 75-metre coastal cargo ship built in 1985. Although it is Turkish-owned and operated, the vessel sails under the Palau flag and trades regionally across the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Black Seas, according to AIS data. Its regular trading routes include ports from Malta and Port Said to the Kerch Strait.

Port state control records show that the vessel has accumulated a large number of deficiencies over the years. Inspectors have reportedly found at least one issue during nearly every inspection since 2017.

Recent deficiencies have included problems with fire safety equipment, engine room cleanliness, fire dampers and doors, propulsion or auxiliary engines, accommodation standards, crew certification, and logbook records. More than 40 deficiencies were recorded in the past year alone.

Another vessel, the sanctioned oil tanker Qendil, reportedly ran aground near Bozcaada on Sunday, stopping close to a rocky shoreline.

In a separate incident near Büyükada, on the eastern side of the Sea of Marmara, Turkish search and rescue teams prevented another vessel from grounding. The LPG carrier Bitihi 2 began drifting towards shore but was moved to a safe anchorage off Tuzla after a salvage tug intervened, according to coastal safety authorities.