Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday offered his condolences after a ferry bound for his country sank shortly after departing from the new port of Kyrenia earlier in the day.

“I extend my condolences to the Turkish Cypriot people following the capsizing of a passenger boat en route from Kyrenia to Tasucu, in the Mersin province,” he said, before adding that “immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search and rescue operations in cooperation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

He said that “as a result of these efforts, 237 passengers and crew were saved”, but acknowledged the “unfortunate” deaths of seven people which have been confirmed thus far, before saying that “efforts to find the missing continue uninterrupted”, and that “we hope to receive positive news from these efforts”.

“We are closely following the process, in which we have mobilised all the resources of our state. I offer my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident and wish a speedy recovery to those who were rescued,” he said.

The ferry had capsized shortly after leaving the new port of Kyrenia at around 12.10pm, having been en route to the Turkish port of Tasucu.

A total of 267 people – 259 passengers and eight crew – were on board. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said shortly after 4.30pm that seven people had been confirmed dead and that 237 people had been brought ashore, with efforts ongoing to rescue the other 23 people who remain unaccounted for.