Turkish Government News

Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers that don't carry appropriate insurance letters, adding that insurance checks on ships in its waters were a "routine procedure".The logjam is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets and comes as the G7 and European Union introduce a price cap on Russian oil.Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.Here are key facts about the issue.Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance…

Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports."The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters."There is no reason for ships to be denied access to the Bosporus Straits for environmental or health and safety concerns."The G7 group of countries…

When Russia attacked Ukraine, the nearest naval vessel of a major NATO ally was in the Mediterranean. The last such ship from a major naval member of the Western military alliance left the Black Sea – an area roughly the size of California bordering Russia, Ukraine and NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania – over a month ago.A French warship completed a tour in early January and no major NATO naval ally has patrolled its waters since, according to Turkish maritime website Turkishnavy.net, which tracks the movements of foreign warships.

A Turkish drone meant to help seek hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean landed at an airport on the divided island of Cyprus on Monday, a Turkish official said, in a move that could further stoke tensions between Turkey and Greece.The breakaway Turkish Cypriot cabinet on Friday designated the Gecitkale airport on the island as a base for both unarmed and armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the request of the Turkish government, the Demiroren news agency (DHA) said.Cyprus, an EU member, was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup.

Australia's largest live animal exporter, Wellard, is closely watching reports that Turkey has halted imports of live cattle.Turkey last week unexpectedly revealed that it has halted imports of live feeder cattle from all countries.Wellard informed the local stock exchange that  that it has received preliminary reports that the Turkish Government has imposed a halt on the import of live feeder cattle into Turkey from all countries."At present, it is not clear how long the halt may last. News reports indicate that the halt may be temporary. It appears to be in response to an accumulation of stocks in Turkey and aligns with seasonal conditions…

An International Maritime Organization (IMO)  workshop for Turkish government and industry officials is set to boost the country’s ability to ratify and enforce IMO’s liability and compensation regime, including treaties covering wreck removal, salvage, carriage of hazardous and noxious substances, passengers, CLC, Fund, Bunkers Convention and limitation of liability.The event is taking place at the University of Ankara (22-26 October) as part of the master programme at the Ankara University Research Center of the Sea and Maritime Law. It is focused on the specific requirements for each convention in order for them to be enacted fully into national law.The regime covers issues such as pollution incidents…

Turkish maritime authorities have reopened Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait to transiting tankers after shutting it earlier on Saturday for several hours following what the government said was an attempted coup by a faction in the military. The Bosphorus is one of world's most important chokepoints for the maritime transit of oil with over three percent of global supply - mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea - passing through the 17-mile waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. It also ships vast amounts of grains from Russia and Kazakhstan to world markets. On Saturday, forces loyal to the Turkish government fought to crush the remnants of a military coup attempt, following violence and clashes in Ankara and Istanbul.

Turkey has launched the building phase of its amphibious landing platform dock (LPD) warship for the Turkish Naval Forces with a ceremony on April 30, says Hurriyet. Last year, the Turkish government announced it signed a nearly $ 1 billion deal with a local shipyard to produce the country's first LPD. Turkey's procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said SSM and Sedef, a Turkish shipyard, agreed to pen the deal after contract negotiations. Turkish companies, including Aselsan and Havelsan, will produce and install several parts of the ship’s components, including armaments, electronics and communications systems. A Spanish company, Navantia, will help in designing the ship.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will use a visit to Turkey this weekend to try to soothe tensions over a deal meant to stem the flow of migrants to Europe as questions about its effectiveness and long-term viability mount. The pact, which came into force almost three weeks ago, aims to help end the chaotic arrival of migrants and refugees on the Greek islands, many fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. More than one million reached Europe last year. The deal initially slowed the numbers of new arrivals to Greece sharply, but boats have been coming again with about 150 people a day, indicating the "hermetic sealing" of the route appears to be over, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

With the delivery of five Rubber-Tire Gantry Cranes (RTGs) and two Ship-to-Shore (STS) gantry cranes capable of handling Ultra-Large Containerships (ULCS) of up to 16,000 TEU capacity, the new 1.3 million TEU deep-water APM Terminals Izmir facility is nearing completion in anticipation of beginning commercial operations in early 2016. One more STS crane and five additional RTGs are scheduled to arrive in December, bringing the container handling equipment complement to three ULCS-ready STS cranes and 10 technologically advanced RTGs. The opening of the new container terminal on Turkey’s Aegean coast, which will become Turkey’s biggest container terminal in the Aegean Region serving Istanbul and southern Turkey…

SMM Istanbul 2011 now has the support of the Turkish Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs and the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM). The second SMM Istanbul is to be held at the modernized and enlarged Lütfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICEC) from 26 to 28 January next year. At that first event in January 2009, SMM Istanbul attracted more than 4,000 trade visitors from 66 countries, showcasing 150 exhibitors from 30 countries. The high international level achieved right from the start by the first SMM overseas exhibition no doubted owed a lot to the quality standards of the SMM brand, which stands for the world’s leading international shipbuilding industry fair.

The Tognum subsidiary MTU Turkey will supply, from June 2010, a total of 16 MTU Series 4000 engines to power eight Turkish landing ships for transporting tanks and vehicles. The supply scope of the order placed by SSM, the Turkish government authority, with MTU Turkey also includes the gearboxes and Bluevision, MTU ship automation systems for propulsion control. Turkey fully directed development of the landing ships, each of which will be powered by two MTU 16V 4000 M70 diesel engines with a total output of 4,640 kW (6,222 bhp), capable of accelerating the ships to a speed of 20 knots.

The first SMM Istanbul is to be held at the centrally located L¸tfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICEC) on the European side of Istanbul, from 21 to 23 January 2009. Funding is provided by the Turkish Development Centre for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (KOSGEB), which is supervised by the Turkish Economics Ministry, to all exhibitors that have a production facility in Turkey. KOSGEB funding goes not only to the 75 or so Turkish companies among the 150 exhibitors, but also to foreign companies which have an official company office and production facilities in Turkey. The Turkish Government will also be well represented at the Opening of SMM Istanbul.

The European shipbuilding and marine equipment industry, and also the Turkish government, look forward to the start of the new shipbuilding fair SMM Istanbul. This international maritime trade fair will be held for the first time at the centrally located Lütfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICEC) on the European side of Istanbul. It is organized by Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC), also responsible for the industry’s leading fair SMM, and by the partner Goca Fuar Kongre ve Sergi Hizmetleri Ltd.Şti (Goca Exhibitions).

The Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen will supply 32 type 16V 4000 M90 engines for 16 new fast patrol boats destined for the Turkish coast guard. The Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen recently received two major orders from the Turkish government to supply engines for new patrol boats and a new corvette for a total of approximately €60 million. For 16 new patrol boats, MTU Friedrichshafen will supply 32 engines of the type 16V 4000 M90, including transmission, to a dockyard in Turkey. A new generation of 400-ton boats capable of more than 25 knots is being produced to a Turkish design.

A top Kazakhstan's official said on Monday that fears of tanker congestion in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles waterways resulting from increased Kazakh oil exports were unfounded and safety standards would be respected. The Bosphorus, crossed annually by some 50,000 vessels, of which 14 percent carry oil, will see more tanker traffic from the Russian port of Novorossiisk when oil is loaded from a new pipeline leading from Kazakhstan's giant Tengiz field. "This (congestion) issue is a far-fetched one, and we are ready to cooperate and be responsible for respecting all safety and ecological norms," the official said. The Turkish government…

Following the recent commissioning of HMAS Larrakia and Bathurst into Navy service, a dual Naming Ceremony for the fourth and fifth Armidale Class Patrol Boats to be launched was held today at the Austal shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia. Twelve patrol boats are currently contracted for delivery to the Royal Australian Navy. The 56 metre, all-aluminium monohull vessels were named “Albany” by Mrs Annette Knight AM JP CITWA, Former Mayor of the Town of Albany, and “Pirie” by Mrs Margaret Humphry, Daughter of Lieutenant J Ellershaw, Gunnery Officer Bathurst Class Minesweeper, HMAS Pirie. The ceremony was attended by approximately 150 senior figures from the Royal Australian Navy…

The Turkish government will close the Bosphorus strait to sea traffic for ships over 3,000 tons for 12 hours from 1600 GMT on December 31 to minimize possible effects from the millennium bug problem in computers. Ships over 3,000 tons will not be allowed to pass through the strait from 1600 GMT on December 31, 1999 to 0400 GMT on January 1, 2000 for traffic safety. Ships longer than 200 m will not be allowed to sail through the 19-mile-long strait unless they provide millennium compliance certificates and ensure that their cargo is not dangerous.