The superyacht M/Y Dolce Vento sank shortly after its launch at Medyılmaz Shipyard in Turkey on September 2, 2025. Just minutes after entering the water, the 24-meter vessel capsized due to stabilization issues. Fortunately, all four aboard escaped and were rescued by shipyard workers. An investigation is ongoing.
Turkish authorities released Croatian Captain Marko Bekavac on August 8, nearly two years after his arrest for drug trafficking. He attributed his release to diplomatic efforts by Croatia. Bekavac had been sentenced to 30 years for cocaine found on his ship, while his first officer remains imprisoned, awaiting appeal.
The Hinnøy, Norway’s largest fully battery-powered ferry, has completed construction in Turkey and is on its way to Norway. With a capacity for 399 passengers and 120 cars, it will operate in the Arctic fjord region, setting new records in size, speed, and charging capabilities. This marks a significant step towards sustainable maritime transportation in Norway.
Turkey has rejected the EU’s Maritime Spatial Planning maps for the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, calling them “null and void.” The Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized that the EU has no authority in maritime disputes between sovereign states. They stress the importance of resolving issues with Greece through direct dialogue and international law, not EU involvement.
Two crewmembers tragically lost their lives in an engine room fire aboard the general cargo ship FG Sevil on October 31. The vessel, en route from Yalova, Turkey to Bulgaria, caught fire off Sedef Island in the Sea of Marmara. Turkish rescue teams responded swiftly, but two crewmembers were found deceased.
Turkey’s General Directorate of Coastal Safety swiftly responded to a fire on a small coastal RoRo vessel off the Black Sea coast. The vessel, named Ariburnu and built in 1944, was transporting vehicles and equipment from Istanbul to Zonguldak. Efforts are ongoing to cool the elderly vessel, currently adrift off the coast of Sile.
The EUNAVFOR has expressed concerns about the Turkish shipping company, Arkas Line, for refusing vessel inspections by the EU operation. The Turkish-registered containership, Matilde A, declined inspection on September 8, sparking a standoff. Turkey, not an EU member, criticized the operation as intrusive. Despite efforts, Arkas Line has a history of denying inspection requests.
The Turkish parliament approved a carbon pricing mechanism for the shipping sector, taxing emissions released at Turkish seaports. This aligns with the country’s ETS plans to regulate CO2 emissions. With a focus on EU trade relations, Turkey aims to harmonize maritime trade and prevent trade diversion. The move reflects Turkey’s commitment to environmental sustainability and global carbon pricing standards.
Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety reported a temporary suspension of traffic on the Dardanelles Strait due to an engine room fire on the bulker AK Discovery. The vessel, registered in Barbados and coming from Egypt, was safely towed to anchorage after the fire was extinguished. Investigation into the fire’s origins is ongoing.
At the next Cabinet meeting in Turkmenistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced the country’s accession to the IMO Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic. This decision aims to improve international cooperation, simplify shipping procedures, and modernize the maritime industry and fleet. President Berdimuhamedov emphasized the need to increase cargo transportation by sea and river.
The US Treasury Department’s OFAC announced actions against financial networks supporting Houthi forces in Yemen to secure international shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, threatened by increasing Houthi aggression. Sanctions target Iranian financial assistance and aim to disrupt illicit fund flow, protect global shipping interests, and maintain regional stability.
