Shipping Laws and Regulations in Turkey: A Comprehensive Guide for Foreign Owners and Investors

Shipping in Turkey is governed mainly by Book V of the Turkish Commercial Code (TTK No. 6102, Articles 931 to 1400), the Cabotage Law (No. 815), the Turkish International Ship Registry Law (No. 4490) and the maritime conventions Turkey has ratified. This guide explains that framework in plain terms so foreign shipowners, charterers, financiers and traders know the rules before flagging, trading or arresting a vessel here. It covers vessel registration, cabotage, ship arrest, maritime liens, carrier liability, pollution and how disputes are resolved.

The Three Layers of Turkish Maritime Law

Turkish maritime law sits on three overlapping layers, and a foreign party usually has to work through all of them at once. Knowing which layer governs a given issue is the first step in any shipping matter.

• The Turkish Commercial Code (TTK, Law No. 6102). Book V (Articles 931 to 1400) is the heart of Turkish maritime law. It covers the legal status of vessels, ownership and mortgages, charterparties, carriage of goods by sea, maritime liens, collision, salvage, general average and limitation of liability. Book V is closely aligned with leading international conventions, including the Hague-Visby Rules for cargo carriage.
• Specialised maritime statutes. Separate laws govern niche areas: the Cabotage Law (No. 815), the Turkish International Ship Registry Law (No. 4490), the Maritime Labour Law (Deniz İş Kanunu No. 854) and the Ports Law (No. 618).
• Ratified international conventions. Turkey is party to the major IMO and commercial conventions, including SOLAS 1974, MARPOL 73/78, the 1999 Geneva International Convention on Arrest of Ships, the CLC and Bunker pollution conventions, and the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. Once ratified, these instruments form part of Turkish law.

General principles of contract and obligations fill any gaps, drawing on the Turkish Code of Obligations (TBK, Law No. 6098) and the Civil Code (TMK, Law No. 4721).

Vessel Registration and Flagging a Ship in Turkey

Turkey runs two parallel registers, and choosing the right one has real consequences for tax, crewing and trading rights.

The National Ship Registry (MGS)

The Milli Gemi Sicili is the standard register under the Turkish Commercial Code. Ownership is generally reserved for Turkish nationals or for companies in which Turkish shareholders hold the majority, so it is less commonly used by purely foreign-owned structures.

The Turkish International Ship Registry (TUGS)

Created by Law No. 4490, the TUGS is the more attractive option for international owners and investors. It offers significant tax advantages, including exemptions on income from operating and selling registered vessels, exemption from stamp duty and banking and insurance transaction tax on sale, mortgage and registration, and income-tax-exempt seafarer wages. It also applies far more flexible rules on foreign ownership and crew nationality. Yachts, commercial vessels and certain offshore units can be entered into TUGS.

MGS versus TUGS at a glance

Cabotage: Who Can Carry Cargo and Passengers in Turkish Waters

The Cabotage Law (No. 815, dating from 1926) reserves coastal trade, the carriage of goods and passengers between Turkish ports, and most related maritime services such as towage, pilotage and port services, to Turkish-flagged vessels. This is one of the most important practical restrictions for foreign operators.

In short, a foreign-flagged ship may call at Turkish ports as part of an international voyage, but it generally cannot operate purely domestic legs, harbour services or coastal passenger lines. Narrow permits or case-by-case authorisations do exist for limited foreign-flag operations, but they are exceptions and should never be assumed. Foreign investors who want to participate in Turkish coastal trade usually do so through a Turkish company operating Turkish or TUGS-registered tonnage. If you plan to trade domestically, you can set up a Turkish company to operate Turkish or TUGS tonnage with the right ownership structure from the outset.

Charterparties, Bills of Lading and Carriage of Goods

Commercial shipping contracts are governed mainly by Book V of the TTK, supplemented by the general contract rules of the TBK (Law No. 6098).

• Charterparties. Voyage, time and bareboat charters are all recognised. Standard industry forms such as GENCON, NYPE and BARECON are widely used and broadly enforceable, although Turkish mandatory rules can override certain clauses.
• Bills of lading. The TTK regulates the issue, transfer and function of bills of lading as documents of title and as evidence of the contract of carriage. The carrier's liability for cargo follows the Hague-Visby framework incorporated into the Code.
• Carrier liability and time bars. Cargo claims face strict notice requirements and a short one-year suit time bar under TTK Article 1246. Missing that deadline can extinguish an otherwise good claim, so dates must be diarised from the moment loss or damage is discovered.

Before you fix, it is worth having a maritime lawyer review your charterparty and bill of lading terms. For the documentary side of international trade, see our note on transport documents in international carriage of goods.

Ship Arrest, Maritime Liens and Enforcement

For a creditor with a maritime claim, the ability to arrest a ship in a Turkish port is often the most powerful remedy available. A Turkish court can detain a vessel quickly, pressuring the owner to pay or post security before the ship sails.

What claims justify an arrest?

A Turkish court will arrest a vessel only for a recognised maritime claim. TTK Article 1352 sets out the list, which closely follows the 1999 Convention. It includes, among others, claims for:

• damage caused by the operation of the ship, and loss of life or personal injury connected to it;
• salvage and environmental damage or the cost of removing a wreck;
• charterparty, carriage of goods and unpaid freight;
• towage and pilotage;
• crew wages and repatriation costs;
• ship construction, repair, conversion and equipment supply (necessaries);
• port, canal and harbour dues;
• disputes over ownership or possession of the vessel;
• registered ship mortgages and maritime liens.

Sister-ship and beneficial-ownership arrest

Under the 1999 Convention regime reflected in the TTK, a claimant can, in defined circumstances, arrest not only the vessel the claim relates to but also another ship in the same ownership (a sister ship). Disputes often turn on who really owns or controls the target vessel, so evidence of beneficial ownership matters.

Counter-security and wrongful arrest

An arrest is not free of risk for the claimant. The court will usually require the claimant to post security (counter-security) to cover the owner's losses if the arrest turns out to be unjustified. A wrongful or abusive arrest can expose the claimant to a damages claim, so the underlying maritime claim must be properly evidenced before you move.

Documents you typically need to arrest a ship

• evidence of the maritime claim (contract, invoices, bill of lading, survey or damage report);
• vessel particulars (name, IMO number, flag, current and expected position);
• a power of attorney for Turkish counsel;
• sworn Turkish translations of foreign-language documents, apostilled or legalised where required;
• funds available for the counter-security the court sets.

Releasing an arrested vessel against security

The owner can lift an arrest by providing acceptable security for the claim, typically a P&I club letter of undertaking or a bank guarantee. Once the court approves the security, the vessel is released and the dispute continues over the security rather than the ship.

Maritime liens, mortgages and judicial sale

The TTK sets out a ranked list of maritime liens (Articles 1320 onward), covering claims such as crew wages, salvage, port dues and certain damage claims. These attach to the vessel itself and rank ahead of ordinary creditors. Ship mortgages must be registered to be effective and give the lender a secured, enforceable interest. When a ship is sold by judicial auction, ranking decides who is actually paid:

This is why a mortgagee bank and an unpaid crew or salvor can end up in very different positions on the same vessel. If you need to enforce a maritime claim and arrest a ship, the sequence and evidence have to be right from the first filing.

Pollution, Collision, Salvage and Liability

Turkey enforces a strict marine environmental regime. Operators face strict liability and substantial administrative fines for pollution incidents, backed by both domestic law and ratified conventions.

• Pollution liability. The Environmental Law (No. 2872) and dedicated marine-pollution rules work alongside the international Civil Liability Convention (CLC) and Bunker Convention regimes. Owners must carry compulsory insurance and hold valid certificates (CLC and Bunker blue cards, P&I cover); a vessel without them can be detained, and fines under Law No. 2872 can be severe.
• Collision and salvage. The TTK governs apportionment of liability in collisions and the right to salvage reward, broadly in line with international convention standards. For a closer look, see our article on liability and salvage in maritime law.
• Limitation of liability. Shipowners may be entitled to cap their overall liability under the LLMC 1976 regime, as amended by the 1996 Protocol, reflected in TTK Articles 1328 onward. The right to limit is lost where loss results from the owner's own reckless conduct.

The Turkish Straits and Regulatory Authorities

Turkey controls the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the only sea passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Transit is governed by the Montreux Convention (1936) and by detailed Turkish Straits maritime traffic regulations covering routing, reporting, pilotage and tug assistance. Compliance is monitored closely, and breaches can lead to fines and detention.

Several authorities oversee shipping in Turkey, including the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs (Denizcilik Genel Müdürlüğü) within the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Coast Guard Command (Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı), and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change for pollution matters. Knowing which authority regulates a given activity helps owners and operators stay compliant and respond correctly to inspections.

Resolving Maritime Disputes in Turkey

Maritime disputes are heard by specialised commercial courts, with dedicated maritime courts in major hubs such as Istanbul, Izmir and Mersin. Litigation procedure follows the Code of Civil Procedure (HMK, Law No. 6100), while enforcement of judgments and arrests runs through the İİK (Law No. 2004). Foreign-language documents generally need sworn Turkish translation, and timing and cost should be scoped with counsel at the outset.

Parties frequently agree to arbitration instead, whether before the Istanbul Arbitration Centre (ISTAC), the LMAA in London or the ICC. Foreign arbitral awards are enforceable in Turkey under the New York Convention 1958, subject to its limited grounds for refusal, and cross-border conflict-of-law questions are resolved under the International Private and Procedural Law (MÖHUK, Law No. 5718). The right forum and governing-law clause should be settled when the contract is drafted, not when the dispute arises.

For broader context, read our overview of Turkish maritime law and our note on legal support for shipping firms. Lexin Legal advises foreign owners, charterers, insurers and traders across all of these areas. Explore our services or contact our team to discuss a specific vessel or transaction.

Frequently asked questions