TÜRDEF Reacts to Attacks in the Black Sea: Seafarers Are Not Parties to War

The Turkish Maritime Federation (TÜRDEF) and numerous maritime non-governmental organizations have issued a joint statement regarding the attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea. The statement condemned the attacks targeting civilian seafarers and called for urgent action at both the national and international levels.

The joint statement said: "The ongoing war in the Black Sea is no longer affecting only the warring parties; it is now directly targeting civilian seafarers working on international merchant vessels. The recent drone attacks deliberately targeting merchant ships, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of Turkish seafarers, are the most tragic examples of this."

The Federation and the signatory organizations condemned the attacks, stating, "Regardless of their nationality, we condemn all attacks against our innocent and hardworking seafarers." They emphasized that approximately 90 percent of global trade is carried out by sea and that the seafarers who ensure the uninterrupted operation of this system are civilian workers who are not parties to any armed conflict. The statement noted that the increasing attacks on merchant vessels, accommodation areas, and crews seriously threaten the safety of maritime transport and pose a major risk to the continuity of international trade.

The statement included the following: "It is the responsibility of all states to establish and adopt effective and practical measures to prevent unlawful acts against the safety of navigation at sea, which endanger innocent lives or result in loss of life, violate fundamental freedoms, seriously undermine human dignity, and to prosecute and punish those responsible."

The statement said that direct attacks on Turkish-flagged vessels in international waters, as well as on many merchant ships and crew accommodation areas, had become systematic, adding: "We believe that this development constitutes a crime against humanity and that those responsible should be prosecuted under international criminal law."

The Federation recalled that the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols protect civilians, citing the provision: "The civilian population and individual civilians shall not be the object of attack. Civilians shall enjoy the protection afforded by this Part, unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities." It also emphasized that merchant vessels are protected under Article 52 of the Additional Protocol.

The statement also called on the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the flag states of foreign-flagged vessels that had been attacked, saying: "We call on them not to turn their backs on this humanitarian tragedy and to apply to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for provisional measures to prevent these attacks and for compensation for the damages suffered."

The Federation also recalled the legal proceedings conducted by the Turkish judiciary regarding attacks on ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating: "We call for an investigation to be launched under the charge of intentional homicide for our Turkish seafarers who lost their lives."

The statement pointed out that not only Turkish-flagged vessels but also many merchant ships operating under different flags have recently faced similar threats, stressing that this has become "not a national but a global maritime security issue." It added that the safety of merchant vessels is of critical importance for the stability of the global economy, from energy supply security to food supply chains.

The Turkish Maritime Federation stated that it would undertake all necessary national and international initiatives to protect the lives of seafarers and that it would closely follow the matter before the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and other relevant international organizations.

The statement called for "the immediate cessation of attacks against civilian merchant vessels" and urged that "the safety of seafarers must be guaranteed by the international community." It also requested an independent investigation into the drone attacks.

The Federation further proposed that the IMO and ILO urgently place the issue on their agendas, that a working group on drone attacks be established within the IMO, that an international database be created to report attacks on civilian vessels in high-risk areas, and that the IMO and its SOLAS and ISPS subcommittees prepare additional recommendations and guidance concerning such attacks.

Among the Federation's demands were the initiation of the necessary diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of Turkish seafarers, the launch of investigations into the deaths and injuries of seafarers, legal action by flag states before international platforms and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the strengthening of international coordination mechanisms to reduce risks for merchant vessels operating in conflict zones.

The statement also declared: "Armed attacks carried out against Turkish maritime jurisdiction areas and Turkish-flagged merchant vessels constitute a clear violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Türkiye and of maritime security," adding that it is of vital importance for the state to urgently implement all necessary deterrent measures using its naval and air assets.

The joint statement concluded with the following words: "Seafarers are not parties to war. They are the unsung heroes of global trade, delivering energy, food, raw materials, and essential goods to every port in the world."

The Federation and the signatory organizations emphasized that "The protection of merchant vessels and seafarers is not only the responsibility of the maritime sector but of the entire international community," concluding their statement with the words: "The seas must remain not an arena where war is carried, but a shared space where peace, safe navigation, international cooperation, and human dignity are protected."

The organizations that signed the joint statement are as follows:

• Turkish Maritime Federation (TÜRDEF)
• ITU Maritime Faculty (YDO) Alumni Association (İTÜ DEFAMED)
• Turkish Deep Sea Masters Association (TURKKAPDER)
• Turkish Maritime Pilots Association (TKKD)
• Sea Bus Captains and Chief Engineers Association
• Vessel Traffic Operators Association (DTOD)
• Sailing Ship Training Association (YEGED)
• Maritime Culture Association
• Dokuz Eylül University Maritime Faculty Alumni Association (DEFMED)
• Ziya Kalkavan Anatolian Maritime High School Alumni Association (ODEMED)
• Istanbul University Maritime Transportation and Management Alumni Association
• TUDEV Piri Reis University Alumni Association
• Beykoz Maritime Vocational High School Alumni Association (BEDEMED)
• Ordu Fatsa Maritime Alumni Association (ORFADDER)
• Kocaeli University Karamürsel Maritime Schools Alumni Association
• Maritime Psychology Association
• Seafarers Solidarity Association (DAD-DER)
• Coastal Safety Captains and Chief Engineers Association
• Karadeniz Technical University Maritime Transportation Engineering Alumni Association
• Deep Sea Chief Engineers Association
• ITU Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Alumni Association (İTÜ GİMDER)