Tamer KIRAN
Chairman, Turkish Chamber of Shipping
Tamer Kıran, Chairman of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping, emphasized that the Turkish maritime industry has evolved into a globally competitive ecosystem spanning shipowning, shipbuilding, repair, retrofit, and green transition. Highlighting Türkiye’s geopolitical strength, technical capability, and transformation capacity, Kıran shared his insights with Deniz Endüstri on the sector’s growing international influence and its strategic vision for the future.
How do you assess the position of the Turkish maritime sector at a global exhibition such as Posidonia?
The strong representation of Türkiye at one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, such as Posidonia, is a clear indication of the level our sector has reached on the international stage.
Türkiye is no longer merely a regional maritime country; it has become a global player across a wide spectrum, from shipowning and shipbuilding to maintenance-repair and port operations.
Turkish maritime sector with its strategic geographical location, strong entrepreneurial culture, and young and dynamic fleet, has become a significant actor in global seaborne trade.
Events such as Posidonia are also of great importance as they provide visibility for this strength, facilitate new partnerships, and reinforce the international brand value of our sector.
How would you describe the current position of the Turkish shipowning, shipbuilding, and maintenance-repair sectors to international readers?
Over the past 15–20 years, the Turkish shipowning, shipbuilding, and maintenance-repair sectors have evolved from a regional production structure into a flexible maritime ecosystem that competes globally in niche segments.
Turkish shipowners have developed a structure that is highly adaptable to market fluctuations, particularly by focusing on coaster shipping, chemical tankers, and regional trade, while remaining active in the second-hand market and maintaining strong risk management capabilities.
Our shipyards, rather than engaging in standard mass production, have specialised in high value-added segments such as chemical tankers, tugboats, specialised vessels, and hybrid/electric ferries.
In the field of maintenance and repair, Türkiye has become one of the key hubs in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, thanks to fast turnaround times, competitive costs, and high technical capability. Overall, our sector today stands as a strong maritime hub competing on a global scale with its fast, flexible, and solution-oriented structure.
Recent geopolitical developments (Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, energy corridors, etc.) have significantly affected maritime trade. How do you evaluate these developments from the perspective of the Turkish maritime sector?
Security concerns in the Red Sea, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainties in energy corridors have once again demonstrated how sensitive global maritime trade is to geopolitical dynamics.
These developments are creating a very broad sphere of impact, ranging from freight markets to insurance costs, from route planning to supply chains.
At this point, Türkiye stands out as a significant alternative hub due to its geopolitical position as well as its logistical capabilities. Through the Middle Corridor, our port infrastructure, and our regional connectivity strength, Türkiye has further strengthened its potential to become a reliable trade and logistics base during times of crisis.
Pressure for green transition and decarbonization is steadily increasing. How do you assess the Turkish maritime sector’s capacity to adapt to this process?
The Turkish maritime sector is at a critical transformation stage in the green transition and decarbonization process, with strong potential but requiring faster progress.
In recent years, the sector’s capacity to comply with international regulations has increased significantly. Energy efficiency and carbon intensity focused regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI), the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), together with the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and FuelEU Maritime initiatives, have made environmental performance a direct element of commercial competitiveness. Especially for vessels operating at EU ports, carbon costs have become part of operational decision-making.
Türkiye has substantial capacity in shipbuilding, maintenance-repair, and technical transformation. Turkish shipyards have gained serious experience in hybrid systems, energy-efficient designs, retrofitting projects, and the construction of new vessels compatible with alternative fuels. This development has created an important opportunity both for the transformation of the Turkish fleet and for providing green solutions to regional markets.
However, the sector faces important structural challenges. The most critical issue is financing. Low-carbon vessels, alternative fuel systems, port electrification, and digitalization investments require high levels of capital, and cost pressures are increasing, especially for small and medium-sized shipowners. In addition, the infrastructure for alternative fuels such as green methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, and shore power is still at a developing stage. Human resources also need to adapt to new technologies and carbon management processes.
As a result, the Turkish maritime sector is undergoing a transformation process that enables rapid compliance with regulations in the short term and faces cost pressures in the medium term and will be shaped in the long term by its capacity to access financing. With the right incentives, appropriate financial instruments, and strong infrastructure investments, Türkiye has the potential to become not only a compliant actor but also a regional hub producing green maritime solutions.
What is the level of preparedness of the Turkish fleet and shipyards regarding alternative fuels such as LNG, methanol, and ammonia?
In terms of alternative fuels, the Turkish maritime sector is undergoing a controlled but determined transition process.
Our shipyards have gained significant experience in LNG-fueled and hybrid vessel construction and have developed technical capabilities in areas such as dual-fuel systems, electrification, and energy management. They are largely ready for the transition to methanol fuel, while efforts in ammonia and hydrogen are mostly at the R&D and design stage.
Turkish shipowners, on the other hand, are taking a more cautious approach to this transformation, predominantly preferring LNG-compatible dual-fuel and “fuel-ready” designs in new orders. Therefore, rather than a rapid transition toward alternative fuels, the Turkish fleet is following a balanced transition strategy that progresses through newbuilding projects.
Türkiye's shipbuilding and maintenance-repair capacity has been drawing significant attention in recent years. How do you interpret the growth in this field?
The regulations enacted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)—particularly the IMO 2020 sulfur limit and the Ballast Water Management Convention—have increased the necessity for mandatory conversions such as scrubbers (exhaust gas cleaning systems), Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS), and energy efficiency/emission reduction retrofits. This has significantly boosted the global demand for maintenance, repair, and retrofitting while positioning Turkish shipyards as key hubs meeting this demand.
Thanks to its geographical and strategic location, Türkiye serves as a natural maintenance stop for transit vessels. Compared to Europe, it offers more competitive labor and operational costs while providing the same quality at more affordable prices; this cost advantage, combined with technical capability and specialization, has transformed it into a high-quality maintenance and repair hub.
Flexible and rapid operational capabilities, short lead times, and geopolitical and commercial developments, along with changes in trade flows in the region after the Russia-Ukraine war and capacity constraints in European shipyards, have accelerated Türkiye's emergence as an alternative maintenance and repair center.
Today, Türkiye has become a preferred maintenance, repair, and retrofit hub not only regionally but on a global scale. This growth is no coincidence; it is the natural result of decades of accumulated knowledge, private sector dynamism, and engineering capabilities.
The role of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping in international collaborations and organizations is steadily increasing. In this context, what are your goals for the upcoming period?
As the Turkish Chamber of Shipping, our fundamental goal is to further enhance the international representation of the Turkish maritime sector. We aim to be more visible and influential not only on a national scale but also in global decision-making mechanisms.
Strengthening our relationships with international maritime organizations and carrying our industry’s challenges and expectations to global platforms are among our top priorities. Simultaneously, we aim to establish stronger collaborations with foreign investors and international shipowners.
Today, maritime is not just about trade; it is also a matter of energy security, sustainability, and global competition. We will continue to work to ensure that Türkiye becomes an even stronger actor in this equation.