“We gave her the last life jacket”: Tolyatti family missing after Filo Jet crash off the coast of Northern Cyprus

36-year-old Yulia Özcan from Tolyatti in Russia’s Samara Region and her husband Ayhan remain missing after the Filo Jet crash off the coast of Northern Cyprus. At the time of the tragedy, the couple were on board with their 8-year-old daughter. The girl was rescued, but her parents have still not been found.

Yulia was born in Tolyatti. Before moving to Turkey, she worked in her hometown in education, including at a language centre. She later moved to Ankara with her husband, where she continued working as an English teacher at a private school. Ayhan is a Turkish citizen.

The family came to Northern Cyprus for the weekend. According to relatives, the trip was supposed to be an ordinary family holiday. No one imagined that afterwards the 8-year-old girl would be left without her parents.

“Their daughter always came first”

Yulia’s mother, Lyudmila, who also works as a teacher, told journalists about the family’s final moments. According to her, there were not enough life jackets for all the family members during the emergency.

Lyudmila believes that the parents managed to put the last available life jacket on their daughter, effectively sacrificing their own chances of survival.

“They gave her the last life jacket,” Yulia’s mother said.

Other regional sources also quote Lyudmila as saying that the couple’s first priority was to save their child. However, the exact circumstances of how the family ended up in the water and who used which flotation device have not yet been officially established. Therefore, the relatives’ account cannot be considered definitively confirmed.

After being rescued, the girl was taken to relatives in Turkey. According to Russian diplomats, her condition is not a cause for concern.

The girl is waiting for her parents

The situation involving the child remains the most difficult for the family. According to her grandmother, the girl has not yet been told that her parents are listed as missing. She continues to wait for her mother and father to return.

Relatives say that the child has not yet fully grasped what happened. After the ordeal, the girl is staying with close family members, who are trying to shield her from unnecessary information and preserve her sense of safety.

“The little girl is still waiting for her mum and dad,” Lyudmila said.

According to the woman, the family continues to hope for news of Yulia and Ayhan. At the same time, she admits that it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold on to hope with each passing day.

“I pray that they find them,” regional media quote Yulia’s mother as saying.

The family continues to wait

The Russian Embassy in Turkey confirmed that Yulia was among those reported missing. Information initially emerged that the Russian woman might have died, but her status was subsequently clarified: she is officially listed as missing.

For the relatives, the main priority now is to receive reliable information about Yulia and her husband’s fate. The search continues, while the family awaits the results of the rescuers’ efforts and the establishment of the circumstances surrounding the incident.