Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that Turkey's sovereignty in its own territorial waters is enshrined in the Cabotage Law, which came into force on July 1, 1926, and that this regulation represents a turning point in Turkish maritime transport.
Stating that they have implemented very important legal regulations for the development of the maritime sector in the last 22 years, strengthened inspections and established real-time monitoring systems in the seas, Uraloğlu said that they have developed shipyards and equipped the coasts with marine structures.
Uraloğlu reminded that with the measures they took, they were included in the Port State Control Practices White List (Paris MoU) in 2008 and said, “The Turkish flag is among the most prestigious flags in the world in the maritime sector. We have introduced the SCT-free fuel application to distribute the burden on our seafarers. Since 2004, we have reduced the special consumption tax amount to zero for ships carrying cargo and passengers, commercial yachts, service and fishing vessels registered in our registry,” he said.
Uraloğlu, who said they had provided around 12.8 billion liras in support and 6.8 million tons of fuel support, continued:
“We see the successful results of this support at every point. The number of vehicles transported on regular Ro-Ro lines with international connections has increased from 220,000 in the last 20 years to 705,000 by the end of 2023. “We provide an incentive of 3 dollars for every 10 nautical miles to Ro-Pax ships under the Turkish flag. If the conditions stipulated in the legislation are met, the pilotage and towing fees paid by Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ships in our ports, regardless of the flag, will be covered by our ministry.”
Turkish ports are among the top 100 in the world
Minister Uraloğlu stated that 543 million tons of cargo and 12.4 million TEU containers were handled in 217 ports in the country and that the container ports in Tekirdağ, Ambarlı, Kocaeli and Mersin were among the 100 largest ports in the world.
Uraloğlu reminded that they updated the Bosphorus transit fees by regulating the fees charged by ships passing through the Turkish straits without stopping, and said, “Previously, from 1983 to October 7, 2022, we charged $0.80 at a fixed value. After 39 years, the… Presidential Decree of October 7, 2022 With the update we made to these tariffs, we increased them to 4.08 dollars and on July 1, 2023, we increased them to 4.42 dollars. Now, as of July 1, 2024, we are making a new update on the Bosphorus toll and increasing it to 5.07 dollars “We will increase the inflow of foreign currency to our treasury,” he said.
Uraloğlu stated that they established the automatic identification system in order to protect the country's rights and interests in the seas and to fulfill its national and international responsibilities in a timely and complete manner, and stated that cruise ships would be monitored in this way. Uraloğlu said that the definition of ships carrying dangerous cargo was regulated in accordance with international conventions.
Uraloğlu stressed that the seas are monitored 24 hours a day with the systems installed and said:
“We track our blue homeland with technological systems. We hear our seas with COSPAS-SARSAT and GMDSS systems, see them with the Automatic Identification System and manage them with Vessel Traffic Service Centers. In this context, we also provide services to neighboring countries.” The Main Coordination Center for Search and Rescue Services works 24/7 within our ministry. Our company provides services to our country's maritime and aviation not only in the Turkish search and rescue region but in all parts of our country, where rescue centers of neighboring and other countries can establish immediate contact, and with the established Vessel Traffic Service systems, our country ensures the safety of navigation and maritime traffic in the Turkish Straits and all coasts. “It has increased its safety significantly.”
“We are making plans for environmentally friendly shipping”
Uraloğlu stated that the new motto of maritime navigation in the Turkish century was “Safe, secure and sustainable shipping in clean seas” and said:
“In this context, as a ministry, we are carrying out the necessary work to protect our environment and our world, and we are planning green shipping for the action against climate change in the world. We are taking steps to reduce emissions by updating the 'Green Port' practice that we have maintained for many years, not only for ships but also for our port facilities.” “In this context, in 2023, we have published the Green Port Certificate Program, which includes support mechanisms such as converting the handling equipment used in the coastal facility to equipment that has environmentally friendly technology and uses electrical energy.”
Uraloğlu pointed out that the Maritime Decarbonization and Green Maritime Transport Support Project was adopted by the European Commission and said that with the mechanism to be created, approximately 20 million euros in grants and 50 million euros in long-term, affordable loan support will be provided to the sector through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Stating that by working with seafarers, they can contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of world trade, Uraloğlu continued, “Let us not forget that the seas are a heritage that brings us together and shapes our future, and has been a unifying force for humanity throughout history, “I wholeheartedly congratulate on the anniversary of the July 1st Maritime and Cabotage Law, which is the symbol of our independence and sovereignty in our seas,” he concluded.
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