New Turkey Requirement

[SVAspen]

The Ocean Cruising Club reported this new requirement for sailing in Turkey:

"You could be fined £700

Those who sail without an Amateur Seaman's Certificate will be fined a penalty of 2,500 Lira (£700) in Turkey, IBI Magazine reports.

New regulations for private boats and yachtsmen in Turkey have been published in the Turkish Official Journal.

The same penalty will be issued to those who do have an Amateur Seaman's Certificate but are sailing for commercial purposes.

Turkish citizens wanting to obtain the certificate have to complete an online learning program and pass an online exam provided by the state.

The state can authorise some institutes or organisations to give training for this exam or to organise the exams themselves.

The exam includes at least 50 questions about sailing, meteorology, safety, technical issues, marine communication, marine law and international regulations.

Read more at Turkey trots out new fines for non-ticket yachtsmen | Yachting Monthly

[Zanshin]

The details on this are lacking and there's more (or less) to this report.

International Maritime conventions are very, very clear that no IMO signatory (which Turkey is) can demand that foreign flagged vessels and foreign skippers do a local license. The rules only require that the skipper/crew must meet the requirements of the vessel flag state.

Thus this regulation can only be for Turkish flagged private or charter boats, which limits the impact of this rule significantly for cruisers arriving and sailing in Turkey on their own vessel.

[SVAspen]

Here is the entire link. And it appears that Turkey is indeed making this a requirement.

Turkey trots out new fines for non-ticket yachtsmen | Yachting Monthly

[yeloya]

I don't know who is inventing this kind of rubbish and for what..

First of all, as Zanshin has already said no country can force any other country's sailor to have local licence of any kind. As a matter of fact, any sailor can sail his boat to Turkey w/out any proof of competence. (as long as his insurer agrees to it..)

Turkish legislation says : COMMERCIAL boats can not be sailed by amateur skippers for COMMERCIAL purposes. So, in order to be fined one needs to be on a commercially registered boat and in commercial activity.
As an example, all charter boats are registered "commercial" but if you charter a boat in Turkey, you can use it with an amateur licence of yr country of origin, not a Turkish one... The reason is that bareboat chartering is not considered as a commercial activity but a leisure and fun..


Cheers

Yeloya

[SVAspen]

Don't shoot the messenger. This is just what the British publication Yachting Monthly is saying!!!!!!!!!

[goboatingnow]

nternational Maritime conventions are very, very clear that no IMO signatory (which Turkey is) can demand that foreign flagged vessels and foreign skippers do a local license. The rules only require that the skipper/crew must meet the requirements of the vessel flag st

The IMO regulations DO not apply to leisure vessels and small commercial vessels. Croatia is the other country that demands you have a license, irrespective of whether your so called "flag state " requires it.

You guys need to get a grip, IMO rules indeed.

dave

[sailorboy1]

I think a country CAN require any foreign boat to comply with their local requirements regardless if it is against some treaty. Just because they aren't suppose to be able to do something doesn't mean they cannot/wouldn't.

Once you are there you are at their mercy and just wait and see what happens when you tell the local police etc that you don't have to follow their rules.

So be careful before getting on your high horse!

[Sailor_Hutch]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I think a country CAN require any foreign boat to comply with their local requirements regardless if it is against some treaty. Just because they aren't suppose to be able to do something doesn't mean they cannot/wouldn't.

Once you are there you are at their mercy and just wait and see what happens when you tell the local police etc that you don't have to follow their rules.

So be careful before getting on your high horse!

Exactly! When in Rome...

It's probably the lagging economies driving this poor policy, but they lose money in the long run. Seems silly. I hope this isn't a growing trend. Croatia was on my short list...

[Nicholson58]

Do these requirements extend to private pleasure boats manned by two CG Masters?

[goboatingnow]

By the way. It would se an ICC is the equivalent of the amateur seaman certificate. All the more reason to have one it seems

Dave

[Sindbad]

Not sure how far this is already implemented, but we cleared in at Cesme last week and the marina requested to see my ICC.

[svBeBe]

We departed Turkey in late April. The requirement both when we cleared in and when we cleared out was that we present our competency/licensing credentials. Both my husband and I are licensed captains (Merchant Mariners Credentials) issued by the United Stated Coast Guard. The officials both in Fethiye and in Datca were quite satisfied with our licenses as proof of competency. Both agents advised us that captains of foreign flagged vessels are not required to obtain the Turkish Blue Card (the captains license, not to be confused with the environmental Blue Card...this can get very confusing as both are referred to as Blue Cards). Both agents and all officials that we spoke with stated that captains of foreign flagged vessels need only present licensing from their home country and Turkey recognized these licenses on a reciprocal basis, as is required internationally.

Judy

[goboatingnow]

Both agents and all officials that we spoke with stated that captains of foreign flagged vessels need only present licensing from their home country and Turkey recognized these licenses on a reciprocal basis, as is required internationally.

which always causes problems when ones country does not require any license !!!

dave

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

We departed Turkey in late April. The requirement both when we cleared in and when we cleared out was that we present our competency/licensing credentials. Both my husband and I are licensed captains (Merchant Mariners Credentials) issued by the United Stated Coast Guard. The officials both in Fethiye and in Datca were quite satisfied with our licenses as proof of competency. Both agents advised us that captains of foreign flagged vessels are not required to obtain the Turkish Blue Card (the captains license, not to be confused with the environmental Blue Card...this can get very confusing as both are referred to as Blue Cards). Both agents and all officials that we spoke with stated that captains of foreign flagged vessels need only present licensing from their home country and Turkey recognized these licenses on a reciprocal basis, as is required internationally.

Judy

Thanks for the clarification. Its nice to see reason prevail once & a while. We figured when we started our cruise plan that Masters Cred's & documentation were in order. Lower insurance and recognized everywhere.

[yeloya]

I've talked to Port authorities in Marmaris to make sure; as Judy said "captains of foreign flagged vessels need only present licensing from their home country and Turkey recognized these licenses on a reciprocal basis, as is required internationally."
Dave also is right; if the country does not require any licence, the captain has to show a kind of evidence to prove this. They said that they know by their previous experience which are the countries that doesn't require a licence, so no problem for those countries. All they check is the boat and the captain are complying with the regulations of their own country.
They also added that sometimes this is not that easy for some large motor yachts; Panama registered boat, with australian captain, american passengers and indian crew..
Cheers
Yeloya