Honarary Foreign Representative Hasan Kacmaz. Very helpful. He is at the new Marina in Istanbul 4 days a week, lives in Antalya and keeps his Sadler 34 at Alanya. Home Telephone +90 242 3236680. Address: Fener Mah,1964 Sok.No:9, Muratpasa,Antalya, email hasan@east-med.com
Turkish Visas From 10th April 2014 Visas should be obtained on line prior to travel although they were also available at the airport of arrival in Nov.2014.You may still buy a visa on arrival but it is £20 not £14 as on line. If you buy one on line it will automatically appear on their computers so a printout is unnecessary. (GG2015)
Transit Logs New regulations apply to all boats. One has to employ an agent and as they have to enter all the features on the central computer via a secure code. Crew changes appear not to have to be registered. (Ed) Check that the agent has your information correct as once data has been entered it is difficult to change. Logs are issued for a year, but are not necessary if one puts a boat in bond in a marina. In eastern turkey there are no facilities to renew and we were fined 50TL when renewing because ours was 10 days over due. (GG11). If your log runs out when you are away, you may leave your boat in bond with a Marina and renew your log on return to Turkey. (Ed)
Cruising Permits. Foreign flagged boats may not stay in Turkey for more than 5 years. If this is breached then a significant fine may be imposed based on the value of the boat determined by survey. In 2014 this policy was being pursued – boats being impounded until the matter was resolved and fines paid - and catching out those who had earlier left Turkish waters without clearing out in order to save the cost and need to get a new cruising Permit on return. If an owner is not sure of the date of entry an agent can check this on line. (MRW14) At Kas an agent will clear you out of Turkey and, after a quick sail to the nearest Greek Island, renew your Permit. (Ed)
Fethiye: easy Use ALESTA Cost approx 140TL overall 2009 Kemer: very easy Approx 40€ Datcha.: Easy. Approx cost 70€ 2009
Bodrum: a nightmare avoid like the plague
Kusadasi:Easy but €50 plus cost of actual log.(PJP10)
Kas: Easy, either marina arranges an agent or use an independent one in town. 100YTL
Blue Card New rules introduced in 2009 require all vessels between Gulluk in the west to Antalya in the east) to:
Have a Blue Card
Collect all black AND grey water in a holding tank
Have holding tanks pumped out at shore facilities or pump-out boats and pay for this
Get each pump out or container of oil or bilgewater recorded on the Blue Card
Pump no bilgewater into the sea
In practice the rules are unworkable and only seem to be observed at all in Skopea Limani (Gocek/Fethiye), where pump-out boats are in evidence, and possibly Marmaris. However, for any “Official” transaction (eg renewing a cruising permit) you will probably be asked to produce a Blue Card and (in theory, at least) it will be checked to see that you have pumped out a plausible number of times. Blue cards cost YTL20 and on buying one I was told by the helpful girl “I’ve already marked it with a few pump-outs - it looks better”. There is no charge for a pump out at Kas. There appears to be no active policing of the scheme, but coastguard helicopters do regularly fly over Gocek and Marmaris looking for discharges and there are plenty of anecdotal accounts of swinging fines being levied on offenders by Kalkan Harbour master. The rules apply to “all vessels within marine areas and inland waters” but there are no definitions offered so how far offshore you need to be to pump out is unknown. Common sense suggests a mile or so, but don’t do it under any official noses, sea or airborne. (CDP12) Moorings Charter management advise that there is TL10,000 fine for discharge of any black water except in authorised pump out facilities in marinas of which there are none or very few.
Moorings recommend that black water tanks are opened when a decent way offshore (AW16),
Security See RYA advice http://www.rya.org.uk/infoadvice/boatingabroad/Pages/world.aspx
Many Syrian migrants, mainly families, were moving across Turkey from 2014 2017 to make their way to Greece. There were few problems on the south coast and no reports of yachts being troubled. However Members observed the problems on the west coast, particularly at Lesbos. Our HLR in Turkey, Hasan Kacmak reports that “no yacht skipper has been asked or forced to deliver the refugees to Greek waters. Turkish people and Turkish state spends lots of effort and money to give a little comfort to the refugees but Turkey as you know, isn’t a rich country to look after 2.5 million refugees for many more years to come. If any Members notice a boat full of refugees in Turkish waters, they should inform Turkish Coast Guard on Ch 16. The Turkish Coast Guard officers mostly speak good English and their boats are fast enough to rescue the immigrants.