Dilek Ertek: who was Tiffany jewellery tycoon, what happened to her on cruise ship, how did she die?

Tiffany and Co. tycoon Dilek Ertek fell to her death from Norwegian Spirit cruise ship in mysterious circumstances last month prompting a police investigation
Dilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise shipDilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship
Dilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship

Dilek Ertek, a 71 year old jewellery tycoon and owner of Tiffany’s jewellery in Turkey, fell to her death from a cruise ship whilst on a holiday to celebrate her birthday last month. Local media reported that Ertek fell from the 75,000 ton Norwegian Spirit cruise ship into the water of the South Pacific off the coast of Tahiti at around 3am on Wednesday 26 October.

Dilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise shipDilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship
Dilek Ertek reportedly fell from her cabin on the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship

Who was Dilek Ertek?

Dilek Ertek was a Turkish entrepreneur - she was born in Istanbul but attended at a high school, before going on to study Architecture at Istanbul’s Mimar Sinan Fine Art University. She continued her studies at the Gemological Institute of America, in New York City, where she learned about diamonds.

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In 1995, Ertek opened the first Tiffany store in Istanbul and worked as the distributor of Tiffany & Co. in Turkey for more than two decades. She married businessman Hüseyin Yalçınkaya in 1982 but the couple divorced in 2004. Dilek Ertek has a son named Gökçe Atuk, who works as a Managing Director at Tiffany & Co.

How did Dilek Ertek die?

Ertek boarded the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship on 24 October in Papeete Island, French Polynesia, and had planned to celebrate her 72nd birthday in Bora Bora, on 5 November. The cruise was expected to end in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Dilek Ertek is believed to have died by falling from the balcony of her cabin on the ship in the early hours of the morning, however her body has not been recovered. CCTV footage of the incident indicates that she fell to her death around 3am, however her boyfriend, aged 74, who was also on the cruise ship, did not report her missing for 20 hours, according to local media. After Ertek’s disappearance was reported, the ship returned to the nearest port, which was Papeete Island, Tahiti.

Dilek Ertek was the distributor of Tiffany & Co. in TurkeyDilek Ertek was the distributor of Tiffany & Co. in Turkey
Dilek Ertek was the distributor of Tiffany & Co. in Turkey

Ertek’s son, Atkut, claimed that jewellery had gone missing from the safe in his mother’s cabin. Ertek’s family have asked the police to investigate her partner, who is believed to be a Swiss national. Police did question Ertek’s partner, who has not been named, when the ship docked at Tahiti three days after Ertek’s death. They released him without charge due to the lack of evidence and he has now returned to Switzerland.

Why is Dilek Ertek’s death suspicious?

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Ertek’s death has left experts dumbfounded, as the entrepreneur was just over 5’1 tall, and apparently fell over a 3 metre (9’10) guard rail by her cabin. Sabah, an officer stated: "Assuming that Dilek Hanım and her lover are staying in the same cabins, I find it very suspicious that the missing situation is not reported. Because on cruise ships, daily activities and entertainment are organised frequently, and everyone is in contact with each other.”

Additionally, Captain Mustafa Can is believed to have said: “It is difficult to fall from this type of passenger and cruise ship”. While no body has been found, a search for Ertek’s body was discontinued - it is very unlikely that her body will be found in the open ocean due to the sheer size of the South Pacific.

Claims that jewellery was stolen from Ertek’s safe also casts doubt onto whether her death was an accident. Ertek’s lawyers are believed to be preparing to file a suit against the ship’s operator,  Norwegian Cruise Line.

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