ORSAM-TRT Cooperation for the Documentary of Turkish Straits

5 minute reading time

Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) is preparing the documentary film on “The Turkish Straits”. The topics of the documentary film include the the issue of Turkish Straits from past to present. The documentary’s contents are the historical events, international agreements and conventions, safety navigation, environmental safety, maritime traffic, ship accidents, vessel traffic system, sunken shipwrecks concerning the Straits and historical events’ reflections until today. The documentary will also comprise ideas of the different experts to offer an insight into future.

The director of the documentary of Turkish Straits is Mr. Girayhan ALPDOGAN, the advisors are ORSAM (Center for Middle Eastern Studies) Director Hasan KANBOLAT, Turkish Republic Prime Ministry State Archives Head Office Ottoman Archives Vice General Director Associate Professor Mustafa BUDAK and ORSAM   Advisor of Maritime Safety and Security Dr. Jale Nur ECE

International maritime routes passing through specific locations mostly correspond to passages, canals and straits. One of the most important strategic passages of the world, in this regard are inter alia the Turkish Straits. It also forms a vital and crucial link between the riparian states of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean nations and the world beyond, hence occupies a strategic position in international trade.

The integral parts of Turkish Straits Region which comprise the Strait of Çanakkale (Dardanelles), the Sea of Marmara and the Istanbul Strait separates the two Continents, namely Asiatic and European Turkey. Turkish Straits is one of the major trade arteries in the world second to the Malacca Straits. Turkish Straits which is one of the oil chokepoint supplies Western and Southern Europe with oil from the Caspian Sea Region. Traffic through the Straits is expected to increase as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan augment crude production and exports in the future.

By this time, The Turkish Straits has been one of the most strategic zone of the world due to many reasons. The Turkish Straits have been of crucial maritime strategic importance since the Trojan War was fought near the Aegean entrance. The Ottoman prevented many disasters by following anintelligent policy. The crucial importance of the Turkish Straits is increasing gradually due to especially the Big Middle East Project and caspian oil.

The current international status of the Turkish Straits was set by the Montreux Convention of 1936, which annulled the provisions on international straits commission and the demilitarized zone which heavily restricted Turkey's domination and sovereignty over the straits. The Montreux Convention Regarding the Legal Regime of the Turkish Straits which is still in force established the principles of passage of merchant and war ships. According to Article 2 of the Montreaux Convention, in time of peace, merchant vessels shall enjoy complete freedom of transit and navigation in the Straits, by day and by night, under any flag and with any kind of cargo. Pilotage and towage remain optional. The Montreux Convention has successfully governed navigation in the Turkish Straits for 72 years.

With the express purpose to enhance safety of navigation, Turkey introduced a Traffic Separation Scheme in the Turkish Straits Region, the Strait of Istanbul inclusive, in full compliance with Rule 10 of Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREG 72). In addition The Turkish Republic recently installed a Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS).

The Strait of Istanbul is a narrow channel that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Strait of Istanbul is the most congested waterway in the world. There were a total of, nearly 55 000 vessels in a year navigating the Strait.

Geographical conditions and navigational constraints of the Strait, i.e. narrowness, deep, currents and bad weather conditions constitute the main parameters contributing to marine casualties in the Strait of Istanbul.

The traffic in the Straits of safe passage has exceeded the limits for safety passage; moreover, the traffic in this area, especially the tanker traffic, is expected to increase. Nearly 145 millon tons of dangerous cargo passing through the Strait of İstanbul. The growing number of the ships carrying dangerous cargo and the amount of the dangerous cargo has become a serious threat to safety of navigation as well as human and environmental safety. Accidents, which may occur in the Strait of Istanbul, especially from tanker traffic, could create acute situations for the area, including the closure of the Strait of Istanbul to traffic. This would negatively affect all countries making use of the Strait of İstanbul especially the Black Sea region countries. The transport of Caspian oil to world markets through the Straits will casue further increase in traffic density, and likewise, the waiting period, adding to the greater probability of accidents.

The documentary will comprise the other topics such as overview of the Turkish Straits issue from the points of the Straits policy within the context of the period of Establishment of Republic of Turkey, Sevr, Laussanne and Mondros treaties, geopolitics and international relations. The documenraty will also include the subjects such as What is the importance of the Turkish Straits within the scope of Caspian Petroleum.

The documentary will also include ship accidents, and sunken shipwrecks and the measuruments to be taken to prevent the accidents and to protect the environment