Welcome Change for Pilotage Regulation in Turkey

Today in Turkey's Official Gazette it was announced that a previous ruling on Port Regulations regarding pilotage has been reversed. 

With immediate effect, “Foreign flagged commercial/private vessels over 1000 GT require a maritime pilot.”, rather than all vessels above 55 metres or over 400 GT as announced in November last year. This is an amendment to Article 28453-13, 31/10/2012.

 

Commenting on the change, Onur Ozgey, Managing Director of 360° Yachting said, "I think it was a mistake to make pilotage mandatory for yachts over 400GRT and now they've increased it to 1000GRT which is fair enough. Frankly to make changes in the middle of the season doesn’t make any sense. But we at 360° Yachting Turkey follow on a daily basis and try to inform the captains/industry objectively."

This is great news for a country whose tourism industry has already faced several challenges this year. Captain Rod Hatch adds, “Reversal does seem quite credible. The 400 GT limit was decidedly yacht-unfriendly. We are already well into this summer’s season, but this is still welcome news." 

For Reference:

Today's announcement in Turkey's Official Gazette as it relates to Private & Commercial Yachts (highlighted below).

Ulaştırma, Denizcilik ve Haberleşme Bakanlığından:

LİMANLAR YÖNETMELİĞİNDE DEĞİŞİKLİK
YAPILMASINA DAİR YÖNETMELİK

MADDE 1 – 31/10/2012 tarihli ve 28453 sayılı Resmî Gazete’de yayımlanan Limanlar Yönetmeliğinin 13 üncü maddesinin birinci fıkrası aşağıdaki şekilde değiştirilmiştir.
“(1) Kıyı tesislerine yanaşacak veya bu tesislerden ayrılacak; 500 GT ve daha büyük tanker ve her türlü tehlikeli madde taşıyan gemi ve deniz araçları, 1000 GT ve daha büyük Türk Bayraklı gemi ve deniz araçları, 500 GT ve daha büyük yabancı bayraklı gemi ve deniz araçları ile 1000 GT ve üzerindeki yabancı bayraklı ticari ve özel yatlar kılavuz kaptan almak zorundadır. Yabancı bayraklı tüm askeri gemiler, askeri olmayan kıyı tesislerine giriş ve bu tesislerden çıkışlarında kılavuz kaptan almak zorundadır. Yakıt ikmali amacıyla demirde veya kıyı tesisinde bulunan gemilere aborda olmak için yanaşıp ayrılan veya yapılacak yakıt ikmali için yükünü almak üzere kıyı tesisine yanaşıp ayrılan 1000 GT ve daha küçük yakıt ikmal gemileri kılavuz etap seyri olan liman sahalarındaki etap seyirleri de dâhil olmak üzere, kılavuz kaptan almak zorunda değildir.”

MADDE 3 – Bu Yönetmelik yayımı tarihinde yürürlüğe girer.
MADDE 4 – Bu Yönetmelik hükümlerini Ulaştırma, Denizcilik ve Haberleşme Bakanı yürütür.

Previous ruling announced on November 7, 2015: via 360° Yachting

Change in Pilotage & Towing Regulations in Turkey
Regulation on Making Changes in the Port Regulations has been published in today’s official gazette and the said changes for yacht marinas are, in short:

The following requirement has been changed from “Foreign flagged commercial/private over 1000 GT requires a maritime pilot.” to “Foreign flagged commercial and private yachts longer than 55 metres or over 400 GT are required to have maritime pilots.”

ARTICLE 6: The paragraphs below have been added to the 14th article of the same Regulation, excluding private/commercial yachts in line with these conditions from the requirement of having a tugboat.

“(12)The tugboat requirement does not apply for private/commercial yachts with double main machines, at least one bow thruster, operable manoeuvre and navigation devices for all main and auxiliary machines in weather conditions that are 5 or under on the Beaufort scale.”

*Image credits: Public Doman Pictures; Darwinek CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons