An Event Where Academia and Maritime Meet

The conference titled 'Status and Application of Commercial Vessels Passing Through the Turkish Straits,' co-hosted by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Maritime of Piri Reis University, was held on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 15:00 in Seminar Room 2 of Tuzla Maritime Campus. The event attracted significant interest from academics, representatives of the maritime sector, and the legal community. Organized at Piri Reis University, the only higher education institution in Turkey specialized solely in maritime studies, this meeting served as an important scientific platform addressing the legal status issues of the Turkish Straits from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The opening speeches of the conference were delivered by Prof. Dr. Ceyda Süral Efeçınar, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Ezgi, Dean of the Faculty of Maritime. In their opening remarks, the deans emphasized that the Turkish Straits constitute a vital junction not only for our country but also for global maritime trade; therefore, the subject should be examined comprehensively in terms of international law, maritime law, and navigation safety.

Session Chair and Speaker Introduction

The first session, which began at 15:30, was chaired by Prof. Dr. Sezer Ilgın, one of our esteemed scholars who has contributed valuable works to maritime literature. In his introductory speech, the session chair highlighted the distinguished position of the guest speaker, Mr. Saim Oğuzülgen, in Turkish maritime history, noting that he is not only an experienced long-distance captain from the practical field but also one of the most competent authorities on the legal regime of the Turkish Straits.

As the keynote speaker of the conference, Uzm. Yük. Kpt. Saim Oğuzülgen was introduced as a Senior Chief Pilot Captain, former President of the Turkish Pilots Association, and Founding Director of the Turkish Straits Application and Research Center at Bahçeşehir University. Captain Saim stands out as one of the most authoritative figures on the subject, blending decades of field experience with academic knowledge.

Essentials of the Conference: Legal Status and Application

In his presentation, Saim Oğuzülgen first made a terminological correction, stating that the correct usage of the terms 'Straits' and 'Turkish Straits' is a critical issue for defending Turkish sovereignty rights in the international arena. He then analyzed the material provisions of the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits, dated July 20, 1936, which forms the legal framework for the passage of commercial vessels through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, supported by field experiences.

The speaker recalled the threefold distinction in the Convention regarding 'peace time,' 'the situation where Turkey is a belligerent party,' and 'the situation where Turkey perceives itself to be facing an imminent threat of war,' and detailed the exceptions brought by Articles 2 to 7 concerning the freedom of passage for commercial vessels. Additionally, it was particularly emphasized that the provisions of the 1994 Regulation on Maritime Traffic in the Turkish Straits and the regulations renewed in 1998, which are still in force, are arrangements created solely to ensure the safety of life, property, navigation, and the environment without violating the principle of 'freedom of passage' stipulated by the Convention.

Observations from Practice

In his speech from the podium, Captain Saim addressed the indispensable importance of the pilotage institution for navigation safety in the Turkish Straits. He presented statistics showing that the increase in the tonnage, size, and type of cargo of vessels passing through the Straits over the last thirty years has created a traffic burden that cannot be compared to the technical and technological conditions of 1936 when the Convention was signed. In this context, he emphasized the design criteria of 'Istanbulmax' type vessels compatible with the physical characteristics of the Straits, stating that the length of vessels should be limited to a maximum of 199.9 meters based on accumulated experience.

The speaker examined the issue of the optional versus mandatory nature of pilotage services in comparison with international maritime law. He stressed that Turkey's obligations regarding navigation safety as a coastal state do not contradict the principle of freedom of passage in the Convention, but rather that this obligation is a requirement of the spirit of the same Convention.

Discussion and Q&A Session

The second session, which began at 16:15, transitioned to the discussion, Q&A, and closing segment under the management of Session Chair Prof. Dr. Sezer Ilgın. Questions posed by the academics, law faculty and maritime faculty students, pilots, and industry representatives present in the hall focused particularly on the applicability of the Convention in light of current geopolitical developments in the Black Sea basin, potential impacts of alternative waterway projects on the Convention regime, and issues of environmental safety.

In his responses to the questions, Captain Saim stated that the Montreux Convention Regarding the Turkish Straits maintains its distinguished place among Turkey's diplomatic gains. He noted that the flexible structure of the Convention regime continues to function despite its nearly century-long existence. The speaker expressed that the protection of the legal regime is not only a diplomatic matter but also a shared responsibility that must be secured through the daily practices of seafarers, pilots, and port administrations.

The conference concluded at 16:45 with the closing speech of the Session Chair and a plaque ceremony presented to the participants. The meeting, which ended with the hope that such events bringing together Turkish maritime and the legal community would continue, provided a valuable reference framework for both practitioners and academics and created an important opportunity for transferring the knowledge regarding the legal regime of the Turkish Straits to younger generations of legal professionals and mariners.

Wishes were also expressed for the conference to be published as a paper in the Maritime Law Journal, the publication organ of the Faculty of Law at Piri Reis University, emphasizing the aim of making it available for the benefit of the scientific community.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye