Şadan Kaptanoğlu Engages İzmir's Maritime Community in Vision for Turkish Shipping

İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Presidential Candidate Şadan Kaptanoğlu met with seafarers from İzmir on September 7, 2026, at a gathering held at the Swissôtel Büyük Efes İzmir. While sharing his vision for the future of Turkish shipping and the fundamental approach of the 'New Route at Sea' movement, Kaptanoğlu emphasized the importance of strong branches, effective representation, the future of young seafarers, and a new management understanding based on collective intelligence.

As part of his election campaign, İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Presidential Candidate Şadan Kaptanoğlu met with representatives of the maritime sector in İzmir. During the meeting held at Swissôtel Büyük Efes İzmir, Kaptanoğlu pointed out that the maritime world is undergoing a rapid transformation and stressed that the Chamber of Shipping needs to evolve into a structure that not only follows this change but also manages it together with its members.

Kaptanoğlu noted that the sector is going through a period where global competition is intensifying, green transformation and digitalization are accelerating, access to financing is becoming more challenging, and international regulations are reshaping the way the sector operates. He expressed that Turkish shipping must prepare for this new era with a strong common vision.

'Izmir's accumulation should reflect more strongly in our Chamber's decisions.'

Kaptanoğlu highlighted the importance of İzmir in terms of Turkey's foreign trade and maritime ecosystem, stating that with its extensive structure ranging from ports to ship agencies, logistics to maritime tourism, and from the maritime industry to exporting companies, İzmir and the Aegean Region are among the key centers of Turkish shipping.

Emphasizing that branches will not be seen merely as structures implementing the center's decisions in the management understanding of the New Route at Sea, Kaptanoğlu stated that strengthening the relationship between the center and the branches will be one of the main priorities.

Kaptanoğlu indicated that they aim to create a structure where regional issues and proposed solutions will be directly incorporated into the Chamber's work program, and where branches will be more active in decision-making processes. He conveyed the message, 'We want to transform the accumulation along all of Turkey's coasts into a common strength. İzmir's, the Aegean's, and all our branches' voices should be heard more strongly at the center. A strong Chamber of Shipping is only possible with strong branches.'

Support for young seafarers' careers and internships

Kaptanoğlu also dedicated a special place to the future of young seafarers during the meeting, stating that the sustainable success of the sector is only possible by not only solving today's problems but also nurturing the human resources of the future from today.

He pointed out the necessity of strengthening the ties between universities and the maritime sector, emphasizing the importance of providing young people with access to quality internship opportunities, facilitating their transition from education to employment, and developing mechanisms that allow them to benefit from the experiences of seasoned professionals throughout their careers.

In this context, he stated that the Maritime Career Center, mentorship programs, mechanisms that will enable young people to participate in Chamber activities earlier, and human resource studies that will identify the sector's needs will be among the important topics of the new era.

'We want a Chamber that touches the lives of its members.'

Kaptanoğlu stressed that the value of the Chamber of Shipping should be measured by the results it produces in daily operations for its members, explaining that they aim to establish a strong professional structure that can directly guide members in various areas, from legislation to financing, incentives to international markets.

He noted that in the new era, the Chamber needs to go beyond being an institution that records the sector's problems to one that follows up on solutions, coordinates between public institutions and sector organizations, produces data and information, and conveys developments in the world to its members in a timely manner.

'We will combine the accumulation of the past with the needs of the future.'

Kaptanoğlu stated that the New Route at Sea movement embodies an understanding that embraces the efforts and achievements made in the past, saying that their goal is to build a new era of advancement on the existing accumulation.

He emphasized that the transformation ahead of Turkish shipping can only be managed with the participation of all segments of the sector, and that common intelligence, transparency, strong representation, and a results-oriented working understanding will be decisive in decision-making processes.

Listening to the views and evaluations of İzmir's seafarers, Kaptanoğlu emphasized that they want to shape the future of the Chamber of Shipping with the common will of the entire maritime community from Istanbul to the Aegean, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Kaptanoğlu concluded his speech with the message, 'Our aim is not to keep pace with change but to direct change. We have embarked on a journey to grow the strength of Turkish shipping with common intelligence and to transform our Chamber into a structure that stands by its members and prepares for the future from today. We will chart our new route together.'

During the question-and-answer section of the meeting, Kaptanoğlu also answered questions posed by sector representatives, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the branches with their own dynamics and will, stating that they will not nominate candidates in nine branches, and that holding Chamber Assembly meetings in different regions from time to time will enhance the interaction between the center and the branches. Kaptanoğlu indicated that regulations on the sector's agenda, especially the Ship Agency Regulation, will be actively monitored, and that they will work to increase İzmir's share in shipping and to bring regional issues to the central agenda more swiftly. Describing the New Route at Sea movement as a strong demand for change rising from the grassroots, Kaptanoğlu stated, 'We are a tidal wave. If we win, we win together.'

Source: SeaNews Türkiye