ABOUT US

The purpose of our organization, which is the Relevant Institution of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and operates under the provisions of the Decree Law No. 233, and whose headquarters is in Istanbul, is to assist the safety of navigation of Turkish and foreign flagged vessels navigating in our seas and territorial waters, to provide services of coastal safety, salvage, pilotage and tugboat, to establish and operate related equipment and facilities, to render services such as rescue, salvage and assistance, towage, diver and wreck removal ,to make all kinds of investment regarding coastal radio stations, Automatic Identification System, dGPS and similar systems which were established and will be established for the safety of navigation, to operate those systems as monopoly.

Directorate General of Coastal Safety carries out its activities in seven basic areas. DGCS is the authority in two of them.

Salvage at all seas by having monopoly within specified area.

Rescue (life-saving)

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS Provider)

Authority of Lighthouses

Navtex Coordinator and Accounting Authority for Maritime Communications

Pilotage Service

Tugboat Service

The Organization’s fields of activity are as follows:

 1)    To establish and operate the lighthouses, beacons, sea marks, fog horns and all kinds of similar equipment, system and facilities as monopoly, which were already founded and will be founded in Turkish coasts regarding the safety of navigation.

 2)    To render salvage, assistance and towage services at all seas including salvage and assistance services for the vessels more than 300 register tonnages having an accident and their cargoes as monopoly except for war ships and auxiliary vessels, to operate as monopoly the rescue stations (sea and land based lifeboat service) which have been founded and will be founded, in Turkish territorial waters between Şile Lighthouse and Karaburun Lighthouse in Black Sea, and in the Turkish territorial waters between Kemikli area in Saros Bay and Bababurnu in Aegean Sea including Bozcaada and Gökçeada(İmroz) coasts, and also in Black Sea, Çanakkale Strait and Marmara Sea between these two borders.

 3)    To provide pilotage, tugboat, mooring and frogman services, to remove shipwrecks within the frame of management principles.

 4)    To establish Vessel Traffic Services System for the safety of navigation in our seas and territorial waters, and as monopoly in Turkish Straits; to operate the system of Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services(TSVTS) which has been established ; to meet all needs of this system regarding service and make necessary investments for this purpose, to carry out the services such as establishing, operating, controlling, monitoring and certificating for the System of Vessel Traffic Services to be established in future, when necessary.

 5)    To make all kinds of investment regarding coastal radio stations, Automatic Identification System, dGPS and similar systems which have been established and will be established for the safety of navigation in our seas and territorial waters; to operate them as monopoly.

 6)    To provide air, marine and land vehicles regarding the safety of navigation, salvage and maritime security, and to ensure all kinds of maintenance, repair, renewal and equipment for these vehicles.

 7)    To carry out the collection and accrual of dues of tariff-based services such as lighthouse, rescue, marine communication, pilotage, tug boat, mooring, diver in return for services rendered; and to collect fees related to salvage and other services.

 8)    To participate in local and foreign partnerships in its purpose and fields of  activity, to establish or remove new partnerships, to open branches, stations and other facilities inside and outside Türkiye,  to make all kinds of agreements, to establish and cancel a lien, to lease all kinds of vehicle,  movable and immovable property and service.

 9)    To provide and enhance resources in order to conduct, improve and introduce activities in line with the principle of efficiency.

 10)  To establish and cancel organization and enterprises when needed, to take necessary actions regarding these works, to ensure that budgets, tariffs and investments of subsidiaries and establishments comply with general economy and maritime policies.

 11)   To take precautions for training personnel in accordance with world standards at all expertise areas and training subjects regarding the purposes of activity,  to establish and operate training facilities, to provide consultancy service, to receive consultancy service, if necessary, in line with these purposes inside and outside Türkiye.

 12)  To perform other duties assigned by the relevant Ministry.

 

Organization will fulfill these purposes and activities directly or through the institutions, subsidiaries, affiliates and other units.

The purpose and fields of activity of the Organization may be changed by the decision of the Higher Planning Council.

Our organization transfers a significant amount of resources to the public due to legal obligations such as taxes, funds and dividends.

Directorate General of Coastal Safety provides a great indirect contribution to the economy of the country due to its services. With Vessel Traffic Services, Salvage / Assistance Services, Aids to Navigation Services, Marine Communication Services, Pilotage and Tugboat Services, the safety of navigation in our seas is improved and the marine environment is protected from possible adverse effects of maritime traffic.

Major disasters may take place as a result of an accident or sabotage that may occur during the transportation of dangerous goods by tankers through Turkish Straits. It is certain that such a disaster will put an end to the lives of millions of living creatures in the region. It will also cause irreparable damage to the insurance, finance, industry, trade and production sectors.

As an organization, we try to take the precautions at the highest level by making all kinds of technological investments without compromising the safety of navigation, so that our unique city of Istanbul, which is a world heritage, does not encounter a disaster one day. However, the accidents and breakdowns unfortunately show that this alone is not enough. It is considered that the use of pipelines, another alternative transportation type, can be a safer and uninterrupted model in terms of mitigating the increasing dangers in the region. On the other hand, the insufficiency of the ships' insurance, sub-standard vessels, human error and especially the insufficient number of qualified personnel are other important problems we encounter in marine accidents.