The analysis of life safety and economic loss in marine accidents occurring in the Turkish Straits

The increase in the world's trading capacity, which has been spurred by globalization, has caused problems in marine transportation, namely congestion. Despite the safety measures currently in place, marine accidents are still not being prevented. This study focuses on marine accidents in the Turkish Straits that have done serious harm to humans, the natural environment, and the economy. To reduce the negative impacts mentioned above, this study considered the most common types of accidents, their causes, and their results. For this purpose, 850 serious marine accidents, which took place in the Turkish Straits between the years of 2001 and 2010 (as recorded by the Undersecretaries for Maritime Affairs), have been analyzed and the data obtained have been systematically tabulated using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology. According to the data, the most significant cause of marine accidents in the Turkish Straits is human error. This study proposes measures to ensure that ship personnel are competent, mentally and physically, to navigate narrow and dangerous waterways in order to minimize the amount of accidents caused by human error.     

Calculation of the freight revenues in Turkey-focused maritime transportation

The Central Bank of the Turkish Republic (TCMB) in Turkey has announced the data of freight revenues. The data that have been announced depends on the information obtained from the port customs and compiled by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). Because of the distinctive structure of the freight market, certain requisite generalizations and projections are used for data calculation. Accordingly, calculations that depend on generalizations and predictions are likely to weaken the effectiveness of the decisions already made or going to be made. The aim of this study is to calculate more realistically the real freight revenues of ships that have carried out loading or discharging operations in Turkish ports. In accordance with this purpose, the volume of freight revenues and their distribution between Turkish and foreign flagged ships is calculated. A Microsoft SQL-based algorithm is developed in order to do the calculation. Within the scope of the study, the total fright revenue of Turkey-oriented shipping industry is calculated to be USD 5.8 billion. Proportionately, 79.53% of the revenue belongs to foreign flagged ships, 12.70% of it belongs to foreign flagged ships with Turkish owners, and only 7.78% of it belongs to Turkish flagged ships.