Captain Mustafa Can, Member of the Board of Directors of the IMEAK Chamber of Shipping (DTO) and Chairman of the Board of Transbosphor Denizcilik, who was the guest of Merve Tepe’s live broadcast on A Para TV, said that the maritime crisis, which was known for crises after 2008, started to rise towards the end of the pandemic in 2021 and it has reached very serious figures.
Stating that this had a great positive impact on Turkey’s exports, Can said, “The toy-loaded container, whose value does not reach 10 thousand dollars, started to come from China to Europe for 20 thousand dollars. Therefore, the production of particularly expensive and lightweight products has become mandatory in Turkey, and we have taken a big step towards becoming Europe’s production base. I think Turkey will evaluate this very well. In 2000, the freight we gave abroad in maritime trade was low due to the scarcity of our exports. Since we could not grow as much as our exports in maritime, only 10 percent of the freight of incoming or outgoing cargoes to Turkey comes to Turkish-owned ships. In the 2000s, this was 30%. Our exports have increased very rapidly in the last 20 years, but unfortunately, our maritime, ships, and shipowners could not achieve this growth.”
Stating that the main reasons for this are the problems that occur because Turkey is not a maritime country, along with the incentives, Can said, “Therefore, we think, believe and know that maritime has a very strategic importance and that our state knows this, it will pave the way for big investments, and it will ensure the renewal of our ports.”
The level of exports cannot be measured by trucks.
Reminding that Turkey’s exports now exceed the dimensions to be transported by trucks, Can said:
“We need to make this a national issue as soon as possible and take much faster and more important steps in container transportation. Because it is a strategic reason for our existence. If we can produce and sell and bring in foreign currency, we can keep the welfare level of this country high. You can see this right now with trucks. If we try to continue with trucks, one day Bulgaria will say ‘you are polluting my air’. The export must be done by sea. The freight crisis was actually an opportunity for us, the Turks, for Turkey. We both started to grow as a maritime industry and took a big step towards becoming a close production base of Europe. We are aware and we know that one of the biggest reasons for the increase in our exports, including the pandemic period, is the international freight crisis.
We know that our minister will support
“Maritime is a strategic area and we know that Nurettin Nebati, the Minister of Treasury and Finance, who recently met with our IMEAK Chamber of Shipping, will also support maritime. When it comes to maritime, it is such a large area that even trucks are included in it. You bought it from the factory, brought it to the port by train or truck, you take it with ships. So this is a complicated transport. Our state has finally realized that this issue is indispensable. We know and expect that maritime will finally gain the necessary importance and be supported in the new Turkish economy model.”
We don’t want more than Greek
“Our hopes are not over. We don’t want to be given such great support. We just don’t want to be discouraged. What the Netherlands is doing, we want Turkey to do the same to its shipowners. What Denmark does, we want it to be done. We want what Greece did in 1967. Shipping is a global business. I take my bag and go to Singapore. There are also great incentives. The Turkish shipowner is here because cannot live anywhere other than Turkey. Let our finances examine Greece, Denmark, and the Netherlands. As Turkish shipowners, we want those rights no matter what they choose.”
Global rights to global business
“We are doing a global business, we think we have global rights. I will take the load from Greece and carry it to Panama. The profit I earn from here will come to Turkey. Even if the money remains, we can reach serious figures here. Considering that Turkey’s total turnover is 1 trillion dollars, it is said that the maritime sector has a share of 20 billion dollars here. This figure can easily reach 100 billion dollars. As long as they open up for us. We don’t want support. It is enough that they give us our rights by law. We urgently need to start port investments. I expect investment incentives from my state to open up to the end, especially to our container ship owners – for example, our two big operators, Kalkavan Shipping and Arkas Holding – that will buy ships.”
Russia and Ukraine crisis does not affect shipping
“As a company, we are both a shipping agency in the straits and we transport cargo from Russia to the Mediterranean basin with our ships. We are experiencing some uneasiness, but as you know, America has taken a slight step back. They approached the demand of the Russians. I do not find it strange that this is Russia’s desire to create a buffer zone over Ukraine, since I am not a foreign relations expert, but I am in a constant business relationship with Russia. I know that they will not be close to our maritime cargo exit. A week ago, a forbidden zone was declared on every other side, leaving enough space for us to cruise in the Sea of Azov. In other words, entry and exit from Ukraine were forbidden, but the main places I entered and exited were Russian river ports. That’s the strait of Russia. In other words, the entry of American soldiers into Ukraine means putting a knife to Russia’s throat. I know that it cannot allow this. It doesn’t anyway. Our ships are sailing in those waters right now without any accident. At least, there was no problem with sea transportation, and it will not be. Because there is a foreign trade of billions of dollars.”
Coal demand is high
“We have a high demand for coal, especially due to the harsh winter. Not only ours but also Europe’s demand for coal is high. At present, at least ten ships are going to Bulgaria. Coal power plants there produce electricity and give it to Europe. Again, fifty percent of its coal, thirty percent of its electricity, and one hundred percent of its gas come to Ukraine from Russia. So it doesn’t even need to say “my army is coming”. If he says I cut them off, the job will be over. It’s not much different in Germany. So I don’t think they should be taken too seriously. Germany buys 90 percent of its gas from Russia and says, ‘I will put an embargo, but I will keep energy out of it’. What if Russia says, “I am embargoing your energy”. I mean, these relations are troublesome, but I don’t think they will affect maritime trade.”
If we protect the foreign exchange, the export figures will increase.
“I hope there will not be a big change in the dollar. An increase or decrease in the dollar, are both movements that the exporter does not like at all. The dollar needs to increase at the rate of inflation so that the exporter does not have a loss or a profit. In other words, if it increases more, there is a profit in exports, but foreign companies never give all of them to these exporters. They also have calculators. They buy and collect. They say you make so much profit, you can’t take it all, we will divide it. If we protect the foreign currency, I am sure that our exports will exceed that figure.”
