The first multi-purpose tug with 18 tons of bollard pull was sent to Haifa Port from Port of Famagusta, which was built without incentive with domestic labor in Shipyard Famagusta.
Shipyard Famagusta exported the first multi-purpose tug with a ceremony held today, which has 18 tons of bollard pull. One of the two tugs, built at the shipyard, was delivered to the buyer Israeli company, and sent to Haifa Port.
It is stated that the tug exported by Famagusta is the first multi-purpose tow tug manufactured and exported in the TRNC. The previous domestic manufacturing tug of Famagusta was exported to Lebanon in 2019.
Turgay Deniz, President of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Ali Kamacıoğlu, President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, Yıltan Özkıraç, President of the Cyprus Turkish Shipowners Association, Capt. Kemal Yapıcı President of the Port of Famagusta, and other guests and shipyard employees attended the ceremony for the delivery of the tug held at the Port of Famagusta.
“She was all done with domestic labor without any incentives”
Gökalp Gündoğdu, General Manager of Shipyard Famagusta: “Since we are the island country, our shipyard, which provides all our needs and has been carrying out works at international standards for 34 years, for domestic and foreign ships to provide trouble-free service to the island, after the Netherlands and Lebanon, we are now gathered in Israel for the delivery of the first tug, which was built entirely with domestic labor.”
Gökalp Gündoğdu stated that the tug was completed in 2021 with 120 employees and that she will serve ships/port activities on Israeli seas with her high bollard pull and said, “Today, we are sending the tug from Port of Famagusta to Haifa Port of Israel. Despite the high cost of people, hours, and energy, we are proud to have made this sale to the world market without any incentives. I would like to thank all my colleagues who contributed during the entire period from the construction of the multi-purpose tug to her delivery, all of which were designed by a Turkish design firm, inspected by the Italian Audit firm RINA and registered internationally.”
“The result of what we can achieve”
Thanking his colleagues, Gündoğdu said, “You have the biggest share in this work, which is the result of what can be achieved with the domestic workforce. Again, we would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Transport, the Department of Ports, and the Harbor Master for their unsparing support throughout this process. Good luck to our country and our nation. Let her bow be clear. Greetings.”
TCCC’s President Deniz: “It was nice to even dream about it. Now we are living this moment”
Turgay Deniz, President of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (TCCC), stated that the historical Port of Famagusta witnessed a very meaningful event and said, “One of the tugs built in Shipyard Famagusta will be delivered to her buyers to serve in Israel. It was nice to think, even dream about it. Now we are living this moment. I heartily congratulate especially my dear friend Ramazan Gündoğdu and all his colleagues, who achieved this success.”
Pointing out that this event is a major event that shows what to do or what not to do in the TRNC, TCCC’s President Deniz continued as follows:
“We have been chasing a job in the state for years. We are trying to sell goods and services to the state by opening a business of our own. Our justifications are also ready: There is an embargo, and we cannot do business abroad. As you know, Mr. Gündoğdu and his friends work in an industry that has been the main target of the Greek Cypriot embargo. Although it has been declared by the European Union that the Port of Famagusta is not closed, the administration in Southern Cyprus, which is an EU member, continues to impose penalties and an illegal embargo on captains visiting this port. This successful business, created by Ramazan Gündoğdu and his friends, provides service to the ships in our wide region under these difficult conditions. Now, they have gone one step further than the maintenance and repair of ships and have started to build sea vehicles and tugs. We can’t praise them enough. No matter how proud we are, it is not enough.”
Congratulating Ramazan Gündoğdu and his colleagues, TCCC’s President Turgay Deniz said, “I wish this beautiful and meaningful development to be a lesson to all of us and set an example for us to focus on doing business in appropriate ways, working harder, supporting our private sector businesses and getting stronger, instead of complaining.”
Ali Kamacıoğlu
Gazimağusa Famagusta
Gazimağusa Limanı Port of Famagusta
Kapt. Kemal Yapıcı Capt. Kemal Yapıcı
Kıbrıs Türk Armatörler Birliği Cyprus Turkish Shipowners Association
Kıbrıs Türk Sanayi Odası Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry
KKTC TRNC