We firmly believe that our fleet will take its well-deserved place in Europe
Hakan Çendik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Coaster Shipowners and Operators Association (KOSDER), and I talked to him about the strengths of our fleet and its dominance in the region.
"Turkish coaster fleet is making a name for itself in the world maritime with the rapid development momentum it has achieved. We are confident that the Turkish coaster fleet, with its rejuvenated and modernized structure, will be in its rightful place in Europe as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Sea." Hakan Çendik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Coaster Shipowners and Operators Association (KOSDER), and I talked to him about the strengths of our fleet and its dominance in the region.
Turkish coasters are the gateway of our shipowners and operators to the world
Giving information about the importance and power of the Turkish coaster fleet in the Black Sea and Mediterranean region, Hakan Çendik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KOSDER, said: "Nearly 40 percent of the coaster fleet carrying out intensive transportation activities in the Black Sea/Mediterranean region is composed of Turkish-owned coaster vessels. Turkish coasters, which make a great contribution to employment as well as the economies of the country and the region, have become the gateway of Turkish shipowners and operators to the world. Although their carrying capacity is lower than large tonnage ships, coasters provide considerable economic contribution to countries as well as increase the prestige of the sector by 'carrying the region's cargo' in the Black Sea/Mediterranean and Europe. Coasters, which have a long history, are also the starting point for shipowners and operators in maritime trade and pave the way for their growth."
Our coasters are an economic lifeline
"Turkey has made significant progress in coaster transportation as it has in every field of maritime. When we take into consideration that more than 800 of the 2000-ship coaster fleet carrying out transportation in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean are Turkish-owned vessels, it is seen that our country has a serious advantage over other countries in the region." Continuing his words, Çendik said, "In addition to this, the commercial network and good relations established by coaster shipowners and operators in the region have been another issue that reinforced the dominance of the Turkish coaster fleet in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Moreover, in times of global economic and political crises and war, Turkish coaster shipowners, who dominate this tonnage, act as a lifeline for the sustainability of the supply chain and transportation. Our fleet, which has a strong structure in terms of tonnage and number of ships, continues to provide added value to other sub-sectors of maritime, especially ship maintenance and repair."
We believe that our fleet will take its well-deserved place in Europe
Çendik summarized his assessment of the future of the Turkish coaster fleet as follows: We firmly believe that the Turkish coaster fleet, which has made a name for itself in the world maritime with its increasing momentum, will take its rightful place in Europe as well as in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea with its young and modernized structure.
We attach importance to bringing world seafarers together
Making statements about KOSDER's vision and activities, Çendik said, "Our association contributes to the maritime industry with its national and international organizations and presents an innovative vision. It also provides up-to-date information to our seafarers and seafarer students through the training organized at KOSDER Academy. Being aware of the advantage of being located in Istanbul, one of the most important centers of the maritime industry, KOSDER attaches great importance to bringing the world's seafarers together in this city." Çendik stated that the biggest step taken by KOSDER towards this goal was the Istanbul International Conference and Gala Dinner (ISTSHIP) organization held on September 22, 2022, and continued his statements with the following words: I would like to thank once again the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Short Sea Shipowners Association (HSSA), Mr. Charalampos Simantonis, the members of the Board of Directors and all our Greek friends, who contributed greatly to the emergence and successful realization of ISTSHIP-22, and whom we hosted in our country representing Greece, the guest country of the organization.
Our guest of honor is the Royal Netherlands Shipowners Association
Emphasizing that KOSDER will continue to take steps to bring together the world's seafarers and chart the future course of maritime, Çendik said, "In this year's voyage, which we set out with the motto 'The Route of Shipping Istanbul (SHIPROUTE)', we are turning the route of the Netherlands, one of the world's important maritime countries, to Istanbul, the cradle of civilizations and the pearl of the Bosphorus, as the 'guest country' of our event. We would like to thank our guest of honor, the Royal Dutch Shipowners' Association (KVNR), who is one of the architects of this cooperation and who made valuable contributions to every stage of our organization with their knowledge and experience.
We will host more than 600 seafarers from 40 countries around the world at SHIPROUTE-24
Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the friendship between Turkey and the Netherlands, SHIPROUTE-24 will also host more than 600 distinguished mariners from 40 countries around the world in the magical atmosphere of Istanbul. Industry representatives will come together with the unforgettable view of Istanbul, which connects Asia and Europe and is one of the capitals of maritime and will also meet at SHIPROUTE-24 to expand their communication networks, create new opportunities for themselves, and further their professional development.
The topics we will cover in detail
In the conference section of SHIPROUTE-24, panelists who are experts in their fields and have a prominent role in international maritime transportation will discuss the topics on the maritime agenda. These topics include COVID-19, geopolitical turmoil, the maritime economy in the face of increasing legislation and regulations, the approach to shipbuilding from a financial perspective, the use of ships focusing on energy conversion within the scope of IMO Regulations and EU ETS, and new opportunities for the Turkish ship recycling industry within the framework of the Hong Kong Convention.
The conference will be attended by BIMCO President Mr. Nikolaus H. Schües, European Community Shipowners' Association President Karin Orsel, Dutch Shipowners' Association President Theo Klimp, WISTA International President Elpi Petraki, Maritime Economics and Logistics Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Hercules Haralambides and many other distinguished speakers and guests of honor.
About Koster Shipowners and Operators Association (KOSDER)
Koster Shipowners and Operators Association (KOSDER) is a maritime non-governmental organization established to strengthen solidarity among the shipowners and operators of all types of Turkish-owned vessels, called coasters, engaged in close sea transportation in national and international waters. Since its establishment in 2014, the Association has increased the number of its members and the number of ships and cargoes it represents and has now reached 140 members, 550 ships, and 5 million DWT cargo capacity. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, KOSDER is the only non-governmental organization in Turkey and one of the few in the world representing this tonnage.
