Association of Turkish Coaster Owners & Operators (KOSDER) conducted a seminar named “The 2020 Global Sulfur Cap” about Sulfur Cap to be put into force in 2020 by International Maritime Organization (IMO). Salih Zeki Cakir, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (DTO), Baris Turkmen, the secretary of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (DTO), shipowners, academicians and so many people from the maritime sector attended the seminar. İlker Mese from İlkfer Group, Mustafa Muhtaroglu from Energy Petrol and Yasan Canca from Ince Maritime delivered one speech at the seminar, moderated by Pinar Kalkavan.
Shipowner and Operators still have no course of action!
Huseyin Kocabas, president of KOSDER, making the opening speech of the seminar, indicated that maritime transport is known as one of the most important businesses of the world from past to present and added that this situation brought up the issue of environmental pollution in due course and caused obligation to take precautions. Kocabaş, pointing out that IMO’s regulation capping the global fuel sulphur limit which will be enforced from 1 January 2020 directs ship owners and operators to alternatives about using low sulphur fuel oil on their vessels; said that “However, while rules clarify requests of applicators, we observe that our shipowners and operators are still unable to draw their course of action.”
Kocabas continued as follows: “Our sector changes and develops rapidly. Furthermore, with our demands and expectations, a number of serious regulations that we must comply with come into force one by one. It is vital for our industry to read the regulations carefully and perform the process properly in this challenging process. Even though the implementation of these regulations is the duty of the policy makers, nongovernmental organizations have important duties to inform the sector and raise awareness of the industry. We, as KOSDER attach high importance to each single issue that concerns maritime industry and try to contribute to make progress of our sector.”
Turkish Maritime Industry proved itself Salih Zeki Cakir, chairman, stating that it is usual to have new regulations on maritime industry and that Turkish Maritime Industry does not have difficulties in adapting to the changes that have been increasing especially in the last 15 years; said that “Although there are some inconveniences, our maritime personnel and operators have reached a certain level of quality in every aspect and overcame it. In this sense, Turkish maritime industry has proved a certain quality in terms of international business both in technical and commercial terms worldwide.”
