Mystery lingers over disappearance of tycoon off Tahiti

THE SEARCH continues for Turkish business tycoon Dilek Ertek, who went missing on Oct. 25 while traveling aboard a cruise ship off Tahiti of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The 71-year-old woman reportedly fell from the ship, but the search so far has been unable to find any trace of the Turkish tycoon.

Her disappearance made the headlines in Türkiye this week as she was a renowned member of the Turkish jet set. She was reportedly in the company of a Swiss boyfriend at the time of the disappearance.

The family’s lawyer told Turkish media that Ertek’s son Gökçe Atuk traveled to Tahiti and contacted authorities for more assistance in locating her, though to no avail so far. The lawyer also denied claims that Ertek, who owns the Türkiye dealership of a renowned jewelry brand, was carrying precious jewelry at the time of her disappearance and might have been murdered during a robbery.

The unnamed boyfriend of Ertek was questioned by local authorities, and the family’s lawyer said “everyone” accompanying Ertek may be a suspect in her disappearance.

“Authorities check the ship’s logbook and other records that may help the investigation but we hope her fall from the ship was an accident rather than a murder,” she said.

A Tahiti-based news website reported that prosecutors have launched an investigation into the disappearance and said Ertek’s boyfriend reported her disappearance some 18 hours later. Ertek reportedly fell from the 11th floor of the ship Norwegian Spirit, according to the reports.