Ten Indian seafarers are stuck on the abandoned cargo ship Alan off Tuzla, in Istanbul, Türkiye. They say they have had no wages for about eight months. The Turkish news agency İhlas Haber Ajansı (IHA) reported their case on 11 November 2026.
The ship flies the flag of Cameroon. It had two earlier names, Pink and Sea Inca. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) says the ship has been abandoned in Türkiye since 2023. Turkish media say it once carried grain under the Black Sea grain deal.
Life on board
The ship's third engineer told IHA that he joined on 27 February. Some other crew joined in February too. He says nobody has been paid since then, and the owner and the agent do not answer calls.
The crew say food meant for about 10 days had to last 30 days. When the drinking water ran out, they boiled seawater to drink. Two or three crew members became ill. Once an emergency team came on board to help a sick crew member.
There is no fuel, so the generators do not run. The crew say they have had almost no power for about eight months. Solar panels give only enough power to charge their phones. Sometimes they cook on a wood fire.
"We want to go back to our country. We did not get our wages. We have been working for eight months, but no payment was made." The ship's third engineer, speaking to IHA (translated from Turkish).
Who has been told
ITF inspector Selahattin Polat and ITF lawyer Arif Sinan Ünlü spoke to IHA. They said the ITF reported the case to the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). It also wrote to the ship's P&I insurer, the flag state, the owner and the operator. It wrote to the Indian companies that hired the crew too. P&I means protection and indemnity, the insurance that covers crew claims.
According to the ITF, the flag state took no responsibility. The P&I insurer did not help, although the ship has a policy. The owner did not reply. The ship's representatives promised to solve the problem, but this was delayed again and again.
The ITF has been helping the crew for about three weeks, the engineer said. On 11 November the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) brought water and food. Türkiye's Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and the Tuzla harbour master are also working on the case, the ITF said.
The ITF lawyer said there is also a safety risk. In a storm, the ship could drift and hit another ship. The crew cannot raise the anchor or move the ship to a safe place. He said he knows of more than 10 other fully abandoned ships in Türkiye.
The case on the ITF list
The ship is on the ITF abandonment list as Alan (IMO 9631149), in Istanbul. The case date is 1 May 2026. At that time the ITF counted 13 Indian crew. The same IMO number is also listed as Pink. That case is from 1 July 2023, with 11 crew from India and Ukraine. Both cases are still marked open.
What to do if your ship is abandoned or your wages stop
Under the MLC, a ship is abandoned when the owner stops paying wages for at least two months. It is also abandoned when the owner does not send the crew home, or stops giving food, water, fuel or medical care. The owner must have financial security (insurance) for this. It covers up to four months of unpaid wages, the trip home, and basic needs on board.
Find the certificate. The ship must post a certificate of financial security for abandonment where the crew can see it. Take a photo of it. It names the insurer you can contact directly.
Keep records. Save your contract, pay slips, bank statements and messages from the owner or agent. Write down dates when food, water or fuel ran out.
Contact the ITF early. You can reach an ITF inspector or the ITF help line. You do not need to wait until you are owed many months.
Tell your country's officials. Contact your embassy or consulate. Indian seafarers can also contact the Directorate General of Shipping.
Do not sign papers you do not understand, such as a statement that you have been paid in full.
Check the agency before your next contract. Ask which ship and owner you will join. Then search the ship's name and IMO number on the ITF abandonment list.
Read our full guide on what to do if your wages are not paid or your ship is abandoned. For ITF contacts and other help lines, see our useful links for seafarers. If you are looking for a new contract with a known employer, browse external vacancies on Crewboard.
Cover photo: the Tuzla coast on the Sea of Marmara, Istanbul, from the air. Photo: Tuzla Belediyesi (Tuzla Municipality)/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: İhlas Haber Ajansı: Ten Indian crew stuck on a ship off Tuzla for eight months (in Turkish, 11 Nov 2026), Haberler.com (IHA): Ten Indian crew on the abandoned ship Alan in Tuzla unpaid for eight months (in Turkish, 11 Nov 2026), ITF Seafarers: Abandonment list, ITF Seafarers: Abandoned seafarers, ILO: Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 – Frequently asked questions (sixth edition, 2026).
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