In line with the letter of the Directorate General of Maritime
Affairs of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure dated 19
January 2026 and numbered 3351728, we hereby present our
assessments and opinions regarding the "Draft Directive on the
Manning of Ships with Seafarers" ("Draft
Directive") prepared by the Directorate General, for
your information.
The Draft Directive constitutes a comprehensive regulatory
initiative aimed at strengthening alignment with international
maritime legislation, reducing operational costs, and enhancing
digitalization and flexibility in implementation. The Draft has
been prepared with the purpose of reinforcing consistency between
current national regulations and the principal international
conventions to which Türkiye is a party, notably the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the Maritime
