Serkan’s story

We became involved with our friends Ahmet and Serkan’s plight with the owners of their charter boat – this is their story:
Two partners, one a completely dumb alcoholic ex US marine, the other a smooth Italian Mafioso who, not content with ripping off half the population of Gaeta, is determined to bankrupt the stupid American. In the meantime the poor Turks are stuck, unpaid, in the middle. To rid his financial embarrassment the not so bright marine got his friend in NATO to get the Guardia, then police and immigration to dawn raid his boat on the pretence of looking for guns and drugs. It also entailed a raid, below the very large volcano further south, of his partner’s home amongst the headless horses trying to graze below. What resulted was a deportation order for Ahmet and Serkan which had the proviso of them not being able to return to an EU country for 10 years. Following a meal aboard Sundowner it was very sad on the last night saying goodbye to Ahmet who was totally broken. His wages were supposed to go towards opening a restaurant back home in which we were going to celebrate Dennis’ 50th birthday next year. But as always you can find some humour and it came at the train station the next morning as Ahmet’s final words to stupido were “ You and the Italian fight and fuck each other, then you fucked me and my ass is like this” indicating a circle with two hands. Stupido replied “ I know, I know, I understand Ahmet but my ass is like this!” indicating with both arms in a circle. Serkan decided he wasn’t going to be deported and leave without his money so he has been keeping a low profile for the last week aboard Sundowner as the Italian partner’s lawyers fight the deportation order which turns out was totally illegal to such a degree that twice now he has been stopped in the street in the last couple of days by the police and just told to be careful and go away. One option for Serkan was friends and work in London so Dennis asked his oldest friend back home if he knew of a friend of a friend etc but people smuggling at the height of a terrorism crisis was a just a little ambitious - what a mess!
> After a long five weeks Serkan finally managed to return home a story too long and painful to re-tell but some email correspondence is included below, also a picture taken in his hour of triumph against the stupid owner and all his corrupt friends, officials and authorities who were caught in the web of greed and corruption. The picture on his shirt is of a pawn taking a knight which represents the My Pegasus charter company and Sahmat is check mate in Turkish which all relates to when earlier Stupido told Serkan not to worry too much as he was only a pawn in a big game.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you in regards of an on going case in Gaeta Italy concerning S***** A** (Serkan), a Turkish national, of which you may not be aware as he received no reply from his email to you. A brief outline of the case is that Serkan was unpaid for his work aboard an Italian registered charter yacht (My Pegasus) and to avoid payment and to cancel his contract the American owner used his friends in the local American Nato Naval base to influence the local police and customs which resulted in a deportation order for both Serkan and the ship’s Captain. The Captain complied with this order and left unpaid in addition to receiving a ban on working or entering European waters for ten years. Serkan refused to leave and took refuge on our small cruising yacht for the past month in which time we made contact with ITF Napoli who supplied a local union representative and lawyer which should have given him 60 days to appeal. Serkan did receive some of his wages owed but still refused to leave until his deportation order was removed as being a seaman working Mediterranean waters European entry is essential and as confirmed by the ITF reps and lawyer he could walk the streets as he is 100% legal and has the necessary visas and was even signed on at the local capitainerie. Today R***** B********* again used his influence and Serkan was arrested and now sits in Formia police station with no lawyer or interpreter and is due in court on Wednesday while my wife and I sweat it out with his suitcases and personal belongings wondering if we will be arrested as accomplices. S******** will now not return our calls and P**** suddenly doesn’t speak conversational English when phoned. I am deeply disappointed as from a young age I had social and humanitarian values installed in me by my first father in-law of the TGWU southwest. He would be just as deeply disappointed with this combination of greed, corruption and dishonesty destroying a single person’s civil rights and liberties and employment.

We would greatly appreciate any help or advise you can give us as a matter of urgency.

Yours Faithfully

Dennis White



Dear

Some good news. After being told by the police Serkan was going to the magistrate and then immediately deported on the 1 o’clock flight to Turkey at the 11th hour the ITF’s lawyers turned up and he was released - albeit the case is adjourned until 11th December. It is still a little odd the situation with S******** and the new Italian Captain R*** who seem to be in cahoots with the American owner R***** and won’t give Serkan his return ticket until he signs off at the Capitainerie which he would only be willing to do if he was paid his full wages due. A quick mention of R*** who we were very grateful to for introducing us to the ITF but he does have some sort of hidden agenda part of which was getting his wages paid after being unsuccessful until ITF’s intervention which was good for him getting 3000 euros for 2 weeks work on My Pegasus during which time Ahmet was sat deported and unpaid in Turkey with his contract still in place. R*** has become very hostile to us this morning shouting at me that he didn’t want to talk to me, this in front of his young daughter, our friends and staff in our quiet marina which has become to our embarrassment over the past month a battle ground in the Italian way of lots of talk and no actual action. Once again thank you for your help but you may need to keep an eye on the situation as more help seems to be going towards the American owner R***** than the innocent victim employee Serkan.

P.S. Serkan has just returned from a meeting with R*****, S******** and R*** where he was presented with his ticket and was then asked to go to the Capitainerie to sign off which was against the ITF lawyer’s advice. It does seem strange that S******** would wish this as he had promised action against R***** and that Serkan would receive compensation for duress and payment to close his contract. A figure of a minimum 15,000 Euros was mentioned there is now also the damage caused by his wrongful arrest and two nights in a police cell instigated by R***** B********. Is it normal for union reps to act on behalf of the employer not the employee? Maybe I’m being a little unfair and S******** has a plan and using Serkan for the benefit of the case but it is very odd. I am still a bit perplexed why S******** and R*** are so hostile to me when my only interest was helping Serkan and could have done without a month of total stress and worry to my wife. One more thing Serkan did take the boat papers to use as a bargaining tool but he will return them as requested by S********? At the meeting R*** was paid a further 700 euros this for a further ten days aboard My Pegasus this at the new reduced rate of 70 euros per day from 140 euros this was done in an effort to help R***** B********. During this time Serkan spent some nights aboard so R*** could return back to his flat with his partner and child this was done as a thank you for R***'s help. R***** B******** in some sort of attempt at face saving said he would forward 500 of the 6000 euros owed to Ahmet in Turkey and was told by Serkan it was unnecessary as this would be seen as insulting but he did so any way. This was nearly as insulting as R***’s offer of work for Serkan aboard My Pegasus now he is the new captain. I have attached Ahmet’s details which were requested by S******** that he now seems reluctant to take I hope this does not mean Ahmet will be forgotten in the rush to appease Mr R***** as he is now titled. On the advice of S******** we submitted a bill for the one month food, accommodation and refuge we provided for Serkan, this was only done as more ammunition against My Pegasus Charter and in no way do we have any financial motive in this case. Once again thank you for your help and understanding in this matter.


Yours sincerely

Dennis White