Turkey
About the Flag
Turkey is a member of NATO, the OECD, the United Nations, the European Custom’s Union and the International Maritime Organization. Strategically located straddling both Europe and Asia with substantial Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea ports, the country considers maritime trade and the shipping sector to be of great importance. Turkish is the official language, the capital is Ankara, and the government is a republican parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, and the President is the Head of State. There is a unicameral Grand National assembly. The laws are derived from various continental legal systems.
The unit of currency is the Turkish lira. Major trading partners are the European Union nations, the CIS countries, and the United States. The principal industries are iron, steel, machinery and metal products; tobacco, cereals, cotton and barley are the chief crops. Tourism has also developed considerably in the last two decades.
The National Vessel Registry (MGS) is regulated by article 839 and other articles of the Turkish Trade Law no 6762. A ship registry office is established in each of the Trabzon, Samsun, Zonguldak, Istanbul, Bandirma, Canakkale, Izmir, Antalya, Mersin and Iskenderun ports. Geographical boundaries of the registry offices to which the ship ports of registries are dependants are determined and established by the Council of Ministers upon the proposal by the Ministry of Transportation.
The Turkish International Vessel Registry (TUGS) and its regulations were established on December 12 1999 in accordance with the Law No. 4490. The office of TUGS has been established in Istanbul under the body of the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs (“The Administration”) in order to carry out the activities of TUGS.
If deemed necessary by the Administration, it may open, upon the approval of the Ministry, TUGS liaison offices in Trabzon, Samsun, Zonguldak, Bandirma, Çanakkale, Izmir, Mersin, Antalya and Iskenderun where there are MGS departments.
Where the policies for registration with the National and International Vessel Registries differ, the distinctions have been outlined appropriately. The complete sets of regulations for the MGS and TUGS, respectively, can be found through the following links: