Abstract:

The freedom of passing and navigation in Turkish straits –Istanbul Strait (the Bosphorus), the Dardanelles and Marmara Sea- was established with the Montreux Convention in 1936. According to Montreux Convention, parties -ships passing through the Turkish Straits and Turkey, as the owner of the straits- have both responsibilities to each other. As the ships passing through the Turkish straits have the right to freedom of passing and navigation, Turkey should have the right to make the ships pay the charges for the light, life saving services and patente and if needed, stop ships until they pay the charges. According to Montreux Convention Annex-1, the charges are levied on each ton of net register tonnage in gold Franc. This study analyzes heavy traffic in the Turkish straits, current charges and the sanctions that can be applied to the ships passing through the straits without paying charges. The article also assesses the possible consequences of Turkey’s new charging policy comparing the current application with the gold Franc application in Montreux Convention.

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