Italian classification society RINA has been recognized by the Turkish Maritime Administration to carry out statutory activity on Turkish-flagged ships.
Speaking at a reception in Istanbul on December 5, RINA Group CEO Ugo Salerno said, “In addition to the agreement with the Turkish Administration, we have two events to celebrate - the expansion of RINA’s Istanbul office and completion of the first year of successful activities involving RINA local plan approval.”
Present in Istanbul since 1996, RINA today has a staff of thirty exclusive personnel with a local plan approval work force of seven. Most of the employees are native Turkish, including newly appointed head of RINA operations in Turkey, Fuat Cakmak.
The move into 800 sq m new office space last September coincided with the start of the RINA Academy in Turkey. Ugo Salerno says, “With the RINA Academy, we put our knowledge at the disposal of shipowners, ship operators and administrations, for whom we provide practical courses on the proper application of safety regulations.”
The RINA reception was attended by 220 people, including members of several delegations attending the IMO Maritime Safety Committee meeting which was being held in Istanbul for the first time.