Welcome aboard LA Global Currents, the YouTube series that breaks down the real issues shaping the global marine and shipping industry. Hosted by the specialist LA Marine team at Lester Aldridge, each episode dives into the legal challenges, industry trends, and behind‑the‑scenes stories that matter to ship owners, operators, insurers, ports, harbour authorities, superyacht professionals, financiers, and anyone working across the maritime world.   Our first episode on LA Glob

2026 Marine Pollution Fines Tariff The Communiqué on Administrative Fines to be Imposed pursuant to Article 20 of the Environmental Law No. 2872 (Communiqué No. 2026/1), prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, was published in the Official Gazette dated 30 December 2025 and numbered 33123, and has entered into force. The administrative fines prescribed under Article 20 of the Environmental Law No. 2872 have been increased in line with the rev

The recording of the webinar titled “From Legislation to Practice: Environmental Pollution Penalties in Turkish Seas,” which we held with the Koster Shipowners and Operators Association. In this session, we focused on the most frequently debated topics in practice: • Determining penalties based on gross tonnage rather than pollution level • The significant increase in administrative fines in recent years • Sanctions imposed without taking samples • Penalties imposed without c

March 23, 2024 The Regulation Amending the Regulation on the Incentivization of Building New Ships to Replace Turkish Flagged Ships to be Scrapped, provided by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, was published in the Official Gazette dated March 23, 2024, and numbered 32498, entered into force.   According to the regulation, the upper weight limit for the scrapping of commercial ships, maritime, and inland waterway vessels has been raised from 5,0

March 12, 2024 With the Official Gazette dated 12.03.2024 and numbered 32487, The Rules for Prevention  Collision at Sea' has been revoked and replaced by The Regulation for Prevention  Collision at Sea prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. ​ The regulation that has entered into force sets out rules that all vessels within the Turkish maritime jurisdiction and associated areas, regardless of flag, must adhere to, aiming to prevent collisions at sea with th

The Constitutional Court, in its decision dated November 5, 2024 (2023/158 E., 2024/187 K.), ruled that Article 27, paragraph 1 of Law No. 5718 on Private International Law and Procedural Law is unconstitutional and annulled the provision. This decision was published in the Official Gazette on March 10, 2025, and will come into effect on September 10, 2025. Article 27(1) of Law No. 5718 on Private International Law and International Civil Procedure was previously structured a

A Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette dated 6 September 2025 numbered 33009 has introduced an 8 percent Special Consumption Tax for certain marine vessels. The decree entered into force on the same date. Under this regulation an 8 percent ÖTV will apply to marine vessels for which the first acquisition takes place as of 6 September 2025, meaning the date on which the first invoice for the vessel is issued. Background Vessels listed under Schedule II of the S

The Seafarers’ Subsistence Allowance Determination Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security convened on 19 February 2025 and resolved to revise the daily subsistence allowance paid to seafarers. The decision was published in the Official Gazette dated 04 March 2025 and numbered 32831 and entered into force on the same date. Under the new regulation, the daily cash subsistence allowance for seafarers has been increased from TRY 230 to TRY 325. Basis of the Regul

In the face of a global climate crisis, industries worldwide are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, and the shipping industry is no exception. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU) have introduced a multitude of measures, creating a complex landscape that ships must navigate to comply with Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI), Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), decarboni

Feb 23, 2024 On January 18, 2024, the "Communiqué on Amendment to the Value Added Tax General Implementation Communiqué Regarding Changes in Value Added Tax Refund Requests in International Transportation Activities," numbered 49, was published in the Official Gazette with important changes to the VAT application for transportation exceptions. ​ According to the published Communiqué, the changes made are summarized below: Non-resident passengers in Turkey can receive a refund

Introduction: The Beginning of 2023 marked the commencement of a new regulatory era for cargo, RoPax, and cruise ships, with a gross tonnage of 5,000 or more, falling within the purview of the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating system. This metric quantifies a ship's efficiency in transporting goods or passengers by measuring grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. Compliance with these regulations necessitates vessels to report their annual o

The amendments introduced by the “Law on Amendments to the Turkish Civil Aviation Law and Certain Laws and Decree Law No. 655,” which entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette dated 9 July 2024 and numbered 32597 , include significant regulations closely concerning the maritime sector. Further details regarding this omnibus law, which introduces changes in many areas, are as follows: According to the regulations related to the Ports Law No. 618 : The Minist

Introduction The EU Emissions Trading System, initially established in 2005 to address greenhouse gas emissions, has undergone a transformative expansion. Originally focused on energy-intensive sectors, recent negotiations and agreements have broadened its scope to include the shipping industry. In December 2022, provisional agreement extended the EU ETS to cover shipping. This extension was formally adopted and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on May 1

A one-time additional motor vehicle tax was established within the scope of Article 1 of Law No. 7456, "Law on the Amendment of Certain Laws and Decree Law No. 375 and the Establishment of Additional Motor Vehicle Tax for Compensation of Economic Losses Caused by the Earthquakes Occurring on February 6, 2023," published in the Official Gazette dated July 15, 2023. Because this additional tax is an unusual and one-time additional tax, it violates the law under constitutional t