Turkey enhances maritime safety with 2 new tugboats and 6 pilot boats commissioned at the Coastal Safety Authority.
The Coast Guard fleet is being strengthened with the commissioning of two emergency response tugboats and six pilot boats.
An important step to enhance Turkey's maritime safety was taken at a ceremony held at the Beylerbeyi Campus of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety. The two emergency response tugboats and six pilot service boats, constructed at UZMAR Shipyard, have officially entered service.
The ceremony was attended by notable figures including Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Deputy Minister Durmuş Ünüvar, General Director of Coastal Safety Mustafa Bankaoğlu, Marmara and Straits Region Command of the Coast Guard Rear Admiral Serkan Tezel, Northern Group Command of the Coast Guard Major Ziya Can Gürsoy, Assembly President of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Başaran Bayrak, Vice Chairman of the Board Recep Düzgit, Rector of Piri Reis University Prof. Dr. Nafiz Arıca, industry representatives, and other guests.
In his opening speech, UZMAR Chairman A. Noyan Altuğ emphasized that the public-private partnership in maritime has yielded tangible and strategic results. He stated that the RAstar 2885 type tugboats being built are among the most modern maritime vessels worldwide, known for their high maneuverability and performance. Altuğ expressed that these vessels will play a critical role in maritime safety, emergency response, and rescue operations in the Straits and ports.
Altuğ also noted that since the Kardak Crisis, Turkey has significantly increased its civil maritime power. He highlighted that, in light of geopolitical developments in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, the capacity for maritime search and rescue and emergency response is of vital importance.
General Director of Coastal Safety Mustafa Bankaoğlu then took the podium to announce that the emergency response tugboats, named Kurtarma-21 and Kurtarma-22, are 29 meters long, capable of reaching a speed of 13.5 knots, equipped with advanced fire-fighting systems, and have a towing capacity of 82 tons. He indicated that the pilot service boats are 16.5 meters long, can achieve a speed of 20 knots, and are designed to operate in heavy sea conditions.
Bankaoğlu stated that under contracts signed in 2025, a total of 24 vessels, including two emergency response tugboats with a towing capacity of 130 tons, six pilot tugs, and 16 fast rescue boats, are being constructed at three different Turkish shipyards. He announced that the fleet will be significantly strengthened by 2027 and that a tender for six new tugboats with a towing capacity of over 80 tons will be held in the first quarter of 2026.
He also noted a significant increase in tug escort services, stating that the escort service provided to 843 vessels a year in the Istanbul and Çanakkale Straits 20 years ago is expected to rise to 10,500 vessels in 2024 and over 12,500 in 2025.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, speaking at the ceremony, described 2025 as a "golden year" for Turkish maritime. He announced that approximately $506 million has been invested in the General Directorate of Coastal Safety over the past 23 years, noting that the number of vessels in the Coastal Safety fleet has risen to 109 with the addition of the new ships. Uraloğlu emphasized that investments focused on maritime safety and environmental protection will continue resolutely.
He stated that with the delivery of the two tugboats and five pilot service boats, the number of operational vessels in the KEGM fleet has increased to 109. These new vessels will significantly enhance maritime safety, environmental protection, and emergency response capacity. Uraloğlu highlighted that the investments yield returns in a short period of 2-2.5 years, stating, "It is hard to find a more profitable public investment."
At the end of his speech, Uraloğlu thanked the UZMAR executives, engineers, and shipyard workers involved in the construction of the vessels, stating, "We owe gratitude to all our personnel who work 24/7 to ensure the safety of life, property, and the environment in our seas."
Following the speeches, the emergency response tugboats and pilot boats performed demonstration maneuvers in the Straits.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
