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Turkish Authorities have issued new rules to address the situation arising from maritime incidents caused by vessels insufficiently covered for P&I risks.
It is reported by OMUR MARINE (P&I Clubs local correspondent) that Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs announced new conditions for P&I Insurers not listed in the respectable P&I Insurers list of the Ministry.
The “Additional Directive of the Turkish Straits Maritime Traffic Regulation” has been published by The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, dated 09 January 2025.
The requirements must be fulfilled until the 20th of February 2025. Insurance companies meeting all conditions will be evaluated and, if deemed compliant, registered into the Port Management Information System. P&I Policies issued by Insurers not included in the “respectable list” will not be accepted by Turkish Authorities, and vessels insured by those companies will not be allowed to enter Turkish ports.
These requirements do not apply to the well-known P&I insurers already included in an approved ministry list of reputable providers.
The Turkish Government announced the regulation after “recent maritime accidents in which insurance policies submitted were not undertaken by the relevant insurance company… and the policies were claimed to be recently cancelled”.
Although there is no explicit reference that the decision was motivated by concerns about the “dark fleet” or of ageing vessels sailing out of Russia, it is evident that Turkish Authorities had these ships in mind during the decision-making process of these new insurance requirements.
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