Analysis of maritime accidents in Turkish coastal waters

There is a quite heavy sea traffic, specifically through Bosphorus and Dardanelle’s Straits, in Turkish coastal waters. In 2013, approximately 74,000 ships used both waterways. The total number of ships which navigate in Turkish waters sums up to a considerable figure if the traffic to domestic ports are included. Marine transportation is a risky business, since it takes place in a very harsh sea environment sometimes. Maritime accidents are unavoidable despite all national and international rules and regulations. This paper deals with maritime accidents occurred in Turkish coastal waters and the straits. Evaluation of the accidents was accomplished by considering various aspects of the incidents such as cause of casualty, place of casualty, flag state of ships etc. Statistical variations revealed interesting results which may lead to taking preventive measures towards safer transportation and seas. Comparison has also been made with those of theworld’s accident statistics which are utilized in rule development.