Life-Star Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On January 14, 2025, the vessel 'Life Star' faced detention at the Fos-sur-Mer port, under the supervision of the Dirm Méditerranée ship security center. While the specific deficiencies identified by Port State Control inspectors remain undisclosed at this time, the incident highlights the ongoing scrutiny of vessel compliance. 'Life Star' had recently arrived in Fos on January 13 after its journey from Chekka, Lebanon. Currently, the ship is moored at Fluxel berth 0, a designated area for small oil tankers. Stay tuned for further updates as more details about this situation emerge.

For over a year, crew members aboard several vessels of the Turkish shipping company Palmali have endured a harrowing experience, as they continue to work without receiving their earned wages. Among the ships in this dire situation is the 'Caspian Mariner', currently docked in Istanbul, alongside the 'Agdash' and 'Captain Nagdaliyev', both of which have also faced significant challenges. The crews of both the 'Agdash' and 'Captain Nagdaliyev' have received some support from an International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) coordinator, yet the situation remains dire. Notably, the 'Agdash' is moored in the Suez Canal but has been operating with expired registration and insurance certificates. Meanwhile, the condition aboard the 'Captain Nagdaliyev' has dramatically deteriorated, with only one ton of drinking water remaining onboard. Despite this precarious situation, the crew has continued to perform their duties diligently. Back home, their families have been left in financial distress for months due to the lack of payments. The plight of the 'Captain Nagdaliyev' crew is particularly troubling, as the tanker has been under arrest since May 12, 2020, due to debts owed by Palmali. The shipping company has failed to settle significant bills for bunker fuel and has accrued debts to all crew members. After fulfilling their contracts, many sailors found themselves stranded on board for an additional 4-10 months without payment, facing intimidation and threats. Currently, the 'Caspian Mariner' is awaiting repairs in Yalova, where the onboard climate is uncomfortable due to non-functional air conditioning systems, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius during the day and staying around 28-30 degrees at night. Throughout this troubling period, crews have continuously worked without pay, receiving little assistance from the company and, in some cases, being coerced into signing misleading payroll statements.

A consortium of European media outlets revealed on Friday that the family of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured ownership of a 26.5-million-euro ($29.64-million) oil tanker through a covert offshore deal. The investigation, dubbed the "Malta Files," is part of a major collaboration among the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Spain's El Mundo, Italy's L'Espresso, and the French site Mediapart, all of which are members of the European Investigative Collaboration (EIC). This extensive inquiry, which kicked off on May 19, sifted through over 150,000 documents linked to the Mediterranean tax haven of Malta. In a rebuttal to the findings, the Maltese government asserted that there are no hidden secrets within the document trove. The EIC's report identified the oil tanker as Agdash, stating it was acquired through corporate entities registered in Malta and the Isle of Man, known for its favorable tax laws. Financing for the purchase came from a combination of sources: 25% from Sitki Ayan, a Turkish businessman with ties to the Erdogan family, and the remaining 75% from Mubariz Mansimov, a Turkish-Azeri billionaire and head of the Istanbul-based transport firm Palmali. Notably, the EIC indicated that they received no responses from Erdogan's office, the involved family members, Ayan, or Mansimov regarding the report.