Tension in the Black Sea stopped trade: Ships are waiting in Marmara

The escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine has brought Black Sea trade to a halt. The density caused by hundreds of merchant ships anchoring in Marmara, unable to pass through the region due to security risks, was reflected on the coastlines. Industry representatives; He warns that Ukraine's targeting of every ship linked to Russia, regardless of flag, could fuel global inflation by breaking the global supply chain.

Evaluating the dimensions of the crisis, Transbosphor Maritime Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mustafa Can, said that the situation in the Black Sea has reached a level that threatens navigation safety and the Turkish economy.

"IRON AREAS IN MARMARA ARE FULL, SHIPS ARE WAITING OFFSHORE"

Stating that the security crisis in the Black Sea has increased the intensity in the Marmara Sea, Mustafa Can said, "Türkiye has ship traffic control stations and a strong infrastructure that monitors the entire coastline from Ankara. However, there is a big problem on the Black Sea side. Ukraine targets every ship it deems linked to Russia, regardless of flag. This situation has almost completely stopped our Black Sea trade. 90 percent of the ships whose arrival checks, which normally take 72 hours, are completed, are completely full. "They have to wait by 'drifting' off the coast of the Marmara Sea," he said.

"206 SHIPS WERE HIT IN 4 MONTHS, TURKISH RIVER FLEET MAY BE SCRAPPED"

Emphasizing that the attacks in the Black Sea dealt heavy blows to the Turkish-owned fleet, Can explained the balance sheet with the following words: "In the last 4 months, Ukraine attacked 206 ships in the region. Approximately 40 of them are Turkish-owned or Turkish-flagged ships. We have approximately 150 river-sea type Turkish ships serving in our region. Since these ships could not be shifted to other routes, they remained completely idle and could not sail. If this process extends for another 3-4 months, "Türkiye's huge fleet of river type ships will disappear and they will all go to scrap. Targeting merchant ships is clearly a war crime and our lawyers are carrying out the necessary work on this issue."

ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER AND INFLATION WARNING

Noting that the risk of Ukraine hitting loaded tankers carrying crude oil opens the door to a major environmental disaster, Mustafa Can said, "There is a risk that crude oil leaking from a hit tanker will move towards the Turkish Straits. This situation is a serious ecological threat. On the other hand, the blockage of logistics routes will lead to the use of alternative and expensive routes. This disruption will directly have a negative impact on our inflation by increasing freight prices."

"BOSPHORUS REVENUES MAY DECLINE FROM 1 BILLION DOLLARS TO 200 MILLION DOLLARS"

Stating that the sharp decline in ship traffic was directly reflected in the state's Bosphorus transit revenues, Can continued his words as follows: "Previously, an average of 200 ships passed through our Straits per day. Nowadays, this number has decreased to 30-40 ships. The Black Sea is almost empty. Türkiye's annual income from the Straits exceeded 800 million dollars and was heading towards 1 billion dollars. We predict that our revenues will decrease to 200 million dollars due to this crisis and will only be able to cover the expenses."

CALL FOR A "NEW TRADE CORRIDOR" FOR A SOLUTION

Stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure are closely interested in the issue, Can emphasized that a new "Trade Corridor" should be established, similar to the Grain Corridor established under the leadership of Türkiye in the past. Can stated that they expect support to the sector from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and underlined that if he becomes the president, they will provide correct advice to the competent authorities and work will be done to resolve the congestion and navigation safety risks in the Marmara as soon as possible.