Turkey Eases International Flag Requirements

Turkey has made key changes to the requirements for registration on its international ship register. The changes will make it simpler for both shipowners and financiers to take advantage of Turkish registration. Seyma Inal, senior partner at Istanbul-based Inal Law Office says, "The biggest change, published last week, is that ships no longer have to call at a Turkish port before they can be registered on the Turkish International Ship Registry. And the registration period for ships first registered abroad has been increased from six months to one year. Taken together, the changes make the Turkish International Register both simpler and more accessible to international shipping and its financiers."

The amendment to the Turkish International Ship Registry Regulation was published in the Official Gazette on September 17, 2006 and came into force immediately.