Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic System Launches in TRNC

The Eastern Mediterranean VTS System is operational: The digital eye of the TRNC at sea has opened.

On the 52nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, the Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic Services System was put into service in Gazimağusa. It integrated three unmanned traffic observation stations, existing radar and AIS points, and the backup infrastructure in Mersin into a single network. The system, established under the contracting of HAVELSAN, aims to monitor vessel traffic around the TRNC 24 hours a day, contributing to navigation safety, search and rescue, port operations, combating smuggling, and protecting the marine environment.

GAZİMAĞUSA: Another significant technological investment for monitoring and managing maritime traffic between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been put into service. The Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic Services System and the new General Directorate service building of the Cyprus Turkish Coast Safety and Ship Salvage Company Limited were inaugurated at a ceremony held on July 20, 2026, in Gazimağusa.

The ceremony, coinciding with the 52nd anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, was attended by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı, General Director of Maritime Affairs Ünal Baylan, General Manager of HAVELSAN Mehmet Akif Nacar, and General Manager of the Cyprus Turkish Coast Safety and Ship Salvage Company Murat Salel.

The political expression of the inauguration was stated as 'strengthening dominance in the 'Blue Homeland.' The concrete counterpart in maritime technology was the integration of information from coastal radars, cameras, communication devices, Automatic Identification System data, and other sensors into a single traffic picture.

The center of the system is Gazimağusa, with a remote backup in Mersin.

The main operational point of the project became the Vessel Traffic Services Center established in Gazimağusa. Unmanned traffic observation stations were set up in Dipkarpaz, Sadrazamköy, and Çayırova.

In addition, the Automatic Identification System data located in Selvitepe and the AIS and radar data in Kantara were connected to the system. Remote backup and console installations were also carried out at the Mersin Vessel Traffic Services Center. Thus, a bilateral structure was created to ensure technical and operational continuity between the center in Gazimağusa and the center in Turkey.

The information received from the radars, cameras, communication devices, AIS, and other sensors at the observation stations will be transmitted simultaneously to both the center in Gazimağusa and the Mersin Vessel Traffic Services Center. According to the ministry's statement, the system will ensure uninterrupted monitoring of vessels entering the coverage area 24 hours a day.

The remote backup infrastructure in Mersin is one of the notable parts of the project. However, details such as under which fault scenarios the backup center will take over full operation, the automatic transition time, and the targeted system accessibility rate were not shared in the inauguration statements. These topics are expected to be defined in the operational and acceptance documents.

The track seen by the radar will merge with the identity reported by the AIS.

The Automatic Identification System, known internationally as AIS, automatically communicates information about the vessel's identity, type, position, course, speed, and navigation status to other vessels and coastal stations. The radar detects the target on the water as a physical trace. The combination of these two data layers with camera and communication information provides the operator with a more meaningful and up-to-date traffic picture.

It was announced that the traffic observation stations of the system utilize the SERDAR 7M coastal surveillance radars produced by ASELSAN. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure states that the critical hardware and software of the project were developed using domestic capabilities. The integration and main software contracting was undertaken by HAVELSAN.

According to the technical documentation regarding ASELSAN's SERDAR radar family, it is stated that the system operates in the X-band, can be installed on fixed coastal platforms, can be remotely managed, and is designed for 24/7 use. The product family offers range options of 12, 24, 48, and 96 nautical miles in different configurations, with the capability to automatically or manually track up to 300 targets. However, the specific values regarding the antenna structure, actual coverage range, and target capacity of the SERDAR 7Ms deployed in the TRNC were not shared in the inauguration statements.

AI-supported analysis will be used.

HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif Nacar described the established structure as a 'domestic digital marine surveillance system supported by artificial intelligence.' According to Nacar, information obtained from radars, electronic systems, communication infrastructure, and coastal towers will be integrated on domestic software; AI-supported analyses will enhance operators' situational awareness.

The system is expected to contribute to the detection of foreign vessel movements, human trafficking, and illegal operations. However, it has not been publicly disclosed which behaviors the AI modules consider 'suspicious,' the criteria for alarm generation, false alarm rates, the operator approval process, and the data sets used to train the algorithms.

Therefore, rather than making a bold statement like 'artificial intelligence will prevent smuggling,' it is more accurate to say that the system will provide decision support for earlier detection of unusual routes and movements. The screen does not rule; it produces data, traces, and alerts for relevant institutions to evaluate.

A wide range of responsibilities from navigation safety to oil pollution.

Among the operational tasks announced for the project in 2024 are the identification of vessels, uninterrupted monitoring and regulation of maritime traffic, communication of navigation information and general alerts to vessels, and control of special areas.

The system will also be used for early detection of accident risks, issuing warnings against collision or grounding hazards, informing relevant units in incidents such as accidents and fires, sharing meteorological data with vessels, and supporting efforts to combat oil pollution.

TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı stated that they expect the system to accelerate search and rescue operations, enhance safety in approaching ports, and contribute to pilotage and towing planning. Arıklı also highlighted potential uses of the project, such as more effective monitoring of vessels carrying hazardous cargo, tracking irregular migration and smuggling activities, and monitoring critical infrastructure like the Anamur-Geçitköy water pipeline.

It was also mentioned by TRNC authorities that there could be a decrease in insurance risk premiums. However, insurance premiums are not solely dependent on coastal surveillance capacity. Many variables, such as the accident history of the port, tug and pilotage capacity, hydrographic conditions, security status, type of vessel and cargo, are evaluated together. Therefore, this effect is a target or expectation; it is not an automatic outcome.

The Coast Safety and Ship Salvage Company has acquired its new building.

At the ceremony, the new General Directorate service building of the Cyprus Turkish Coast Safety and Ship Salvage Company Limited was also inaugurated alongside the Vessel Traffic Services System.

Erhan Arıklı stated that the two investments complement each other, emphasizing that the Coast Safety and Ship Salvage Company is one of the fundamental institutions for ensuring safety at sea. The new building aims to facilitate vessel traffic management, coastal safety, and salvage operations through a more suitable physical infrastructure.

Official texts regarding the inauguration did not provide details about the building's closed area, technical sections, construction and furnishing costs, crisis center capacity, or the number of personnel who will work there. This information should also be disclosed to evaluate the investment not only ceremonially but also in terms of institutional capacity.

Connected to Turkey's existing maritime traffic network.

The Eastern Mediterranean VTS System was not designed as a standalone closed island system. The integration of the backup consoles established in Mersin and the existing AIS network makes the system part of Turkey's broader vessel traffic management infrastructure.

In Turkey, the Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services System was established in 2003 and modernized by HAVELSAN in 2020. VTS centers are also located in the Izmit, Izmir, and Iskenderun bays. Data from these centers is consolidated at the Vessel Traffic Management Center in Ankara. According to information provided by the ministry, Turkey's AIS network consists of 27 base stations, including two in the TRNC.

Thanks to this architecture, the traffic picture produced by the center in Gazimağusa can be used not only for local port operations but also for a broader assessment of the maritime area between Turkey and the TRNC. The strategic importance of the project lies more in this data integrity than in the number of towers.

The administrative history of the project dates back to 2015.

The Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic Services System is not an investment that emerged overnight. The ribbon was cut in 2026, but the first pages of the file date back approximately 11 years.

The TRNC Council of Ministers approved the signing of a protocol for the establishment of a Vessel Traffic Services System in the country in December 2015. The project was later included in the investment program in Turkey under the number 2018E02-22713. According to the records of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the protocol for the VTS system between Turkey and the TRNC was approved by the Presidential Decision numbered 3796 on April 7, 2021.

The implementation contract with HAVELSAN was signed on January 23, 2024. The field, hardware, and software studies conducted by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs were completed in the 2024-2026 period, and the system was commissioned on July 20, 2026.

The fact that the official records include protocol, investment program, and contract stages spanning different years indicates that the project underwent a long administrative preparation period. Therefore, the expression 'the project started in 2024' refers to the actual installation and contractor implementation process of the system, not its entire administrative history.

The amount in the investment program is 931 million lira.

In the 2025 Public Information and Communication Technologies Investments Report by the Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate, the Eastern Mediterranean VTS is listed as a project covering the 2018-2026 period.

In the table organized in thousands of lira, the total program amount of the project is shown as 931 million 23 thousand lira, cumulative expenditure as 253 million 823 thousand lira, and the 2025 budget as 376 million 200 thousand lira.

The 931 million lira here is the project amount included in the investment program. It should not be presented as final acceptance, realization, or total payment made to the contractor. The inauguration statements did not separately share the definitive costs incurred by the end of 2026, price differences, building expenses, and expenditures undertaken by the TRNC side.

What does the VTS system do, and what does it not do?

According to the International Maritime Organization's SOLAS Convention V/12 regulation, the primary purpose of vessel traffic services is to contribute to safety at sea, navigation safety and efficiency, and the protection of the marine environment. The system can provide vessels with information, warnings, recommendations, and instructions within its authority. However, the ultimate responsibility for the safe navigation and management of the vessel remains with the captain.

According to IMO rules, the official determination of the boundaries of a VTS area, the identification of the competent authority and service provider, the training and certification of operators, and the announcement of participation procedures through maritime publications are required. Making VTS usage mandatory is generally possible for areas within the territorial waters of the coastal state. While information and advisory services can be provided outside territorial waters, participation can be based on a voluntary basis.

Thus, a VTS system does not create a new maritime jurisdiction, does not define continental shelf or exclusive economic zone boundaries, and does not change existing international legal rules. The strategic value of the project stems not from producing legal status but from detecting vessels earlier within the existing legal framework, creating a common traffic picture, and enhancing the intervention capacity of institutions.

Operational clarifications awaited by the maritime community.

While the technical architecture and objectives of the system were explained in the speeches at the ceremony, some operational issues directly related to the daily use by mariners were not addressed.

The exact boundaries of VTS areas, sector and reporting points, mandatory vessel categories for participation in the system, call signs, VHF channels to be used, arrival and departure reporting procedures, anchorage area regulations, and emergency communication procedures need to be announced in appropriate maritime publications.

Additionally, the following topics are important to monitor during the operational period:

- The training and certification status of operators.

- Blind spots in radar and camera coverage.

- Maintenance, spare parts, and software update arrangements.

- Disruption scenarios for the Gazimağusa-Mersin data line.

- Cybersecurity and user authorization policies.

- Record retention periods and sharing procedures with judicial authorities.

- Accuracy and false alarm rates of AI-supported alarms.

IMO rules clearly state that the success of VTS services depends not only on devices but also on having a sufficient number of trained personnel, clear procedures, regular performance evaluations, and cooperation between vessels and the center.

The real test will begin in the operations room.

The Eastern Mediterranean Vessel Traffic Services System provides a significant capacity increase for monitoring maritime traffic and readiness to respond to incidents in the TRNC. The center in Gazimağusa, with its network of radars and sensors spread along the coasts and the backup infrastructure in Mersin, will enable the creation of a common maritime traffic picture between Turkey and the TRNC.

However, no vessel traffic system is considered successful solely because it has been established. Success is measured by the first dense fog, the first adrift vessel, the first dangerous approach, the first lost boat, or the first communication disruption. The ribbon has been cut. Now begins the test of screens, operators, and inter-institutional coordination against maritime conditions.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye