Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, has advised that from 1 December 2022, vessels carrying crude oil and transiting the Turkish Straits must provide an insurance letter from the P&I companies stating the ship details, cargo and voyage and confirming that P&I insurance is valid and inclusive for the ship, voyage and cargo.
This letter must be added to the Sailing Plan 1 (SP-1) report while submitting to the Turkish authorities by ship agents and insurance companies. The letter must be sent by the insurance companies or their representatives.
If an illegal commercial act is made or prohibitions are violated prior to a liability giving rise to a loss, or in other cases such as these, damages will not be covered even if the ship has a valid P&I policy.
What is more, recently Turkey decided to to increase the cost of transiting ships through Black Sea Straits. Turkey’s annual revenue from the passage through the straits will increase from $40 million to $200 million.
The Montreux Convention allows Turkish authorities to increase fees for the lighthouse, evacuation of merchant ships, and medical care. From October 7 2022, Turkey increased the cost of transit through the Black Sea Straits, which consist of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, by 5 times.
The increase in passage prices was explained by the increase in inflation globally and the decrease in the cost of gold.
