Turkey Transit Logs - Now only via agencies?

With immediate effect, transit logs – required by all vessels in Turkish territorial waters – can only be validated online. The ID number of a Turkish national, either the ship’s owner, captain or registered agent is required, in order to gain access to the relevant website. For the time being, a Turkish acquaintance’s ID number can still be used, but yachtsmen without a Turkish ID number will increasingly find themselves depending on agencies to get a valid transit log.  There is no fixed scale of charges for agencies providing this service, so the range of fees being levied is significant.
How to proceed when entering Turkish waters
As in the past, the transit log form can be obtained from marinas, chambers of shipping or agencies. The usual data about the vessel, crew and itinerary must be completed by computer, and it is at this point that the ID number of a Turkish citizen will be needed. 
Then there are fees to be paid.   The so-called ‘port fee’ is calculated according to the dimensions of the boat.   For boats with a Net Register Tonnage (NRT) value of 11 or below, there is no fee.  For boats between 11 and 50 NRT, the port fee is 6.90 Turkish Lira (around 3.30 Euro).   According to leading marine expert Dr Yusuf Civelekoglu, for cruising yachts, 11 NRT roughly equates to lengths of 13 to 15 metres overall (LOA).
Boats over 30 NRT are required to pay lighthouse fees, in addition to the port fee.
Payment of these fees is time-consuming unless you have access to online banking with Garanti Bank (for port fees) and Ziraat Bank (for lighthouse fees).
Once you’ve got the payment receipts, the confirmation number (confirming your online application) and the transit log form, you should apply to the harbourmaster, where officials will print out the information on the transit log form.
The usual round of visits to the health authority, customs, passport police and a return visit to the harbourmaster completes the formalities and results in a valid transit log being issued.  As in the past, this trip round the various departments and officials can be done by an agency, for an additional fee, of course. Agents levy fees (in addition to the online application process) and these can vary significantly, depending on the agency and location.
Interpretation
In general, registration certificates for yachts do not mention NRT or GRT, but instead give a value for the displacement of the yacht.  Depending on the registration procedure, this value can often be completed by the boat owner himself.  Agents anticipate that the port fee will be calculated according to this value.

So, it is advisable for boat owners to show a NRT value under 11 tons in their boat’s documents, as this will eliminate the need for fees to be levied.  But be aware that the harbourmaster is within his/her rights to make their own estimation if he/she feels that the value on the registration document is incorrect.

Everyone cruising in Turkish waters with yachts below 11 NRT should be able to complete their formalities without the assistance of an agency, since there are no port fees to pay.
As for fees for carrying out entry formalities, Yusuf Civelekoglu reports that agencies are charging anywhere between 35 and 150 Euros for what is, in fact, an identical service. So it’s important to compare prices in selecting an agency.  It would appear that some marinas have applied for agency status and are ‘unofficially’ assisting boat owners, a situation which is being tolerated for now, while other marinas refer yachtsmen to trusted agents who charge their regular fees.
But owners would be wise not to rely on this - some agents will almost certainly take advantage of the situation to hike up their prices. This has happened in Göcek, where fees have risen on average by 50 percent.
Looking ahead
For now, the formalities are decidedly convoluted and less than clear – only a few days ago there was a minor crisis in Bodrum with the computerised lighthouse fees.  But based on past experience, the likelihood is that the process will soon be transformed into practical, workable procedures.  Those yachtsmen currently breaking new ground will need time and energy on their side until these issues are settled.   As with any new procedure, it is bound to take time before all the port authorities are dealing with the process consistently.  While marinas and chambers of shipping would like to simplify the system, the authorities seem content to leave it to agencies to carry the liability for administering foreign-flagged yachts.
No doubt there is more to come on this issue; it will be interesting to see which side prevails…