New Tariff Set at $5.07 per ‘Golden Franc’ to Boost State Revenue and Enhance Maritime Safety
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that effective July 1, fees for ships transiting the Turkish Straits without stopping will be updated. “The charges determined in ‘golden francs’ will be $5.07,” Uraloglu stated in a written declaration.
Recalling that the strait transit fees were increased for the first time in 39 years on October 7, 2022, Uraloglu noted, “We will implement a new update on July 1, 2024, in coordination with our Maritime General Directorate and relevant institutions, following the President’s decision. Last year, we raised the fee to $4.42 on July 1, 2023. This year, the fee for ships transiting without stopping will be $5.07 per ‘golden franc.’ Moving forward, the transit fees will be updated annually on July 1.”
Uraloglu explained that according to the Montreux Convention, fees are collected for health inspection, lighthouse services, and salvage services from ships transiting the Turkish Straits without stopping. He added, “The fees are calculated based on the ship’s net tonnage (NRT) and the ‘golden franc,’ indexed to the price of an ounce of gold. For a 10,000 NRT ship, the total fee for lighthouse, salvage, and health services was $3,240 before the first update in 2022. After July 1, 2024, this ship will pay $20,370. These updates have increased the fees 6.3 times compared to pre-2022 levels, thereby boosting foreign currency inflow to our state treasury. The collected fees enable us to continuously improve the infrastructure and traffic monitoring systems to enhance maritime safety and environmental security in the Turkish Straits, one of the world’s most perilous narrow waterways.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz
