The 99th anniversary of Maritime and Cabotage Day was celebrated in Istanbul

Speaking at the 99th anniversary celebration program of the MARITIME and Cabotage Day, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said, "Inspired by the words of our great sailor Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, 'He who rules the seas rules the world', we manufacture our ships in our modern shipyards and add strength to our power at sea. We are determinedly advancing on the path to becoming a country that competes with the world in every field of maritime. Under the leadership of our President, we are achieving successes that make us proud, from the TCG Derya in the Blue Homeland to the world's first unmanned surface vehicle with electronic warfare capability. We are reinforcing our dominance at sea."

The program was attended by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Durmuş Ünüvar, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Chairman of the Council Gökhan Gümüşdağ, Northern Sea Area Commander Vice Admiral Mustafa Kaya, Deputy Governor Şevket Atlı, Beşiktaş District Governor Oğuzhan Bingöl, Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Major General Yusuf Kenan Topcu, Provincial Police Chief Selami Yıldız, Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Region Commander Rear Admiral Serkan Tezel, Istanbul Regional Port Director Mustafa Kıran, Chamber of Shipping Board Chairman Tamer Kıran, provincial and district protocol and directors and representatives of relevant institutions.

'JULY 1 IS THE DAY WE DECLARED THE ABSOLUTE INDEPENDENCE OF OUR TERRITORIAL WATERS TO THE WHOLE WORLD'

Speaking at the program, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said, "July 1 is not just a date for us. It is also the day we gained absolute independence in our territorial waters and declared to the world once again that we are sovereign in our seas. It is the day we nationalized trade in our Blue Homeland. We are experiencing the honor of celebrating this day, which has made a great contribution to the development and progress of our maritime sector, as the 'Maritime and Cabotage Day' for 99 years. With the cooperation and coordination of all our institutions, we are building a great and powerful Türkiye that competes with the world in every field. We continue on our course full speed ahead in the Century of Turkey. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to our President. I would like to thank everyone who has added strength to our power and contributed in the Blue Homeland. I once again remember with mercy, gratitude and appreciation Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, who has written his name in the world maritime history in golden letters, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who brought us this exceptional day, and all our sailors who have passed away. To our veterans "I wish you health, well-being and well-being. I wish our sailors a smooth helm, a clear bow, and clear horizons and fortunes. I celebrate our Maritime and Cabotage Day," he said.

'MORE THAN 87 PERCENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE VOLUME IS TRANSPORTED BY SEA'

Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Durmuş Ünüvar said, "It is the reinforcement of the full independence declared by the young Republic of Turkey with its sovereignty in territorial waters. Today, production is important. The raw materials required for production, logistics, the value of the logistics produced and the sustainability of this logistics are at least as important as production. More than 80 percent of our international trade volume, and more than 87 percent in our country, is transported by sea. You also have to calculate the logistics cost of the value you produce. Countries are constantly looking for new projects, roads and corridors that will reduce these costs."

Following the speeches, the Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Maritime Studies’ Pipe and Trumpet Team performed maritime marches. Then, a concert prepared by the Northern Sea Area Command Band was performed. The participants of the ceremony then visited the Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha Tomb. Governor Gül filled out and signed the memorial book after the visit. Then, a wreath was laid in the sea for the martyrs. The celebration program ended with a show by the ships and boats belonging to the Naval Forces Command, Istanbul Security Directorate and General Directorate of Coastal Safety. In order to draw attention to the importance of the day, divers from the Deniz Temiz Association (TURMEPA), which works to prevent pollution of the seas, dived around Beşiktaş Beach and collected garbage thrown into the sea.

DHA

Reporter: Aysegul Keskin