Turkish fleet aims to rank 10th in the world by 2030

Ergenç, President of the Turkish Shipowners Association, said, “Turkey has the world's 15th largest fleet and a carrying capacity of 34 million DWT. This number continues to increase every year. By 2030, Turkey aims to increase this capacity with energy efficient and eco-friendly ships and to rank 10th.

Saying that the Turkish Shipowners' Association, which has a history of 82 years, leads the way in achieving Turkey's maritime goals today, as in the past, Association's President Cihan Ergenç said, "currently, we are spending our efforts on energy efficient ships that will meet the regulations to be put into effect by IMO. In the first stage, our target will be to make our inventory of up to 400 ships compatible with this regulation. This number will continue to increase in the future. In line with this goal, we created a carbon-free ship cluster and started inviting our companies to this cluster. We aim to launch the project very soon”.

A first in world maritime

Stating that they have prepared an ethical statement called Turkish Ship Management Ethical Principles, Ergenç said, “Maybe it will be a first in the world maritime industry. This declaration explains which ethical principles should be carried out in maritime transport. This ethical statement will be presented to our shipowners. The list of our shipowners who have signed this declaration will be published on our website. With this project, an arrangement will be made in the parts of business ethics that are reflected in the sector and the international business arena. From now on, Turkish Maritime Transport will continue to work in a sectoral integrity and in accordance with the adopted global business values. We are not a association that sees everything as a trade. We advocate the realization of maritime trade under certain values and with synergy.”

Istanbul International Shipping Week

Mentioning the event named "Istanbul International Shipping Conference & Gala Dinner", the first of which will be held in September this year, Ergenç said, "The event is open to all shipowners and related service sectors, and this year's guest country will be Greece. Each year, maritime transport sectors of a different country will be invited as the guest country at this event. This event will be transformed into Istanbul International Shipping Week in the next stage. The Turkish Shipowners Association is well aware of the capacity of ports, shipyards and other crucial maritime service sectors in Istanbul and around the Sea of Marmara. With this awareness, it aims to contribute to the transformation of this region into a hub connected with global maritime transport lines.”

Education is important to us

Stating that they give great importance to the training of the employees of the member companies of the association, Ergenç said, “We organize various trainings designed in line with the needs throughout the year. We make benchmarks with roundtable meetings. These were our projects that we presented as examples of a few of our activities that explain what the Turkish Shipowners Association has done and will do.”

Stating that ship capacities increased by around 12% in 2021, Ergenç said, “This was a very important increase after a long break. It got us excited. The desire of Turkish shipowners to invest in ships has increased as a result of recent global developments. We expect this increase to continue this year as well. I think as of next year, the Turkish Merchant Marine Fleet will be in the 14th rank in the world. The Turkish Shipowners Association will support this capacity increase through the creation of some financial opportunities. We act as an inclusive association. Every Turkish Shipowner can become a member of our association. Currently, 60% of the industry is a member of our association. We aim to increase this rate up to 80% in the near future. We are working to meet all the needs of our industry," he said.

“The core of our industry is the Turkish Shipowners Association”

Cihan Ergenç, who said that he wanted to talk a little bit about the history of the Turkish Shipowners' Association, said, "Although the history of our association dates back to 1925, we accept that it was officially established on August 10, 1939. Since then, the Turkish Shipowners' Association has been the core of our industry. For example, the establishment of the Chamber of Shipping in our country was with the initiative of shipowners who are members of the Turkish Shipowners' Association. Currently, this institution is Turkey's second largest chamber of commerce. The Turkish Shipowners Association pioneered the establishment of Türk Loydu. Türk Loydu, which is a very important and special institution, has become an international class institution in the process. Apart from this, Turkish Shipowners also ensured the establishment of a private university and thus Turkish Seafarers started to work on international ships around the world. This number is increasing day by day.

As the Turkish Shipowners' Association, we are preparing to make important breakthroughs in the development of Turkish maritime transport and to take place among the few countries in international maritime transport in the following periods,"