The latest incident is only a month ago. Then a huge cargo ship lost control while crossing the Bosphorus. Shortly before the Maiden's Tower, the famous Istanbul landmark, the ship headed at high speed towards the busy promenade of the Üsküdar district.
After a collision with a passenger ferry, several people were injured, and a larger disaster was only prevented thanks to the fact that the nearby rescue boat "Kurtarma 5" managed to divert the cargo ship from its course at the last moment, explains the German public media ARD in an extensive publication.
Fear of a disaster
The Bosphorus is about 30 kilometers long, 700 meters wide at its narrowest part and up to 130 meters deep. It separates Asia and Europe and connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. History knows more than one or two wars for this important international route, the publication recalls.
Shipping in the Bosphorus is regulated in detail in the Montreux Treaty of 1936. Although Turkey has full sovereignty, the strait is an international sea route through which commercial ships can pass freely in peacetime. The Turkish authorities have the right to impose fees, but not to prohibit passage.
Zeynep Karammali heads the activities of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers. Her biggest fear is related to a possible catastrophe in the middle of the city of Istanbul, a city of millions. In recent years, shipping rules have been further tightened: cargo ships are now allowed to sail in only one direction, which can change several times a day depending on the frequently changing directions of the currents. Everything is being closely monitored, not least because the traffic of yachts, ferries and small boats continues to increase, Karammali notes.
The role of rescue boats
There are 18 rescue boats stationed in the Bosphorus region. Each of these vessels measures almost 30 by 13 meters, is equipped with two water cannons and two winches and can tow up to 82 tons with its two high-performance engines. These boats are the backbone of the maritime rescue service and are under the management of the Turkish General Directorate of Coastal Safety.
Enis Kuscu is the captain of the most modern of them, the "Kurtarma 18", which has only been in operation since last year. Kuscu was a cargo ship captain and has been a sea rescuer for 13 years. "Even the slightest loss of concentration can lead to an accident", he says, giving the example of an incident from a few years ago, when in the narrowest part of the strait a huge grain cargo ship from Russia crashed into a villa on the shore due to a steering failure. The damage from that accident is still visible today.
At a length of 150 meters and above, ships must be escorted if they have dangerous cargo on board. And at a length of 200 meters and above, this is always mandatory, Enis Kuschu explains to ARD. Between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. A permit to pass through the Bosphorus is always issued for only one ship if its length exceeds 250 meters, Kuscu also said.
Demands for even stricter rules
Despite the tightened rules, Zeynep Karammali is calling for more security measures - for example, all ships passing through the strait must be properly maintained.
The ship "Cordelia Moon" had to be towed before Christmas. According to Ukrainian sources, the tanker is part of the Russian "shadow fleet", which circumvents Western sanctions against Russia under a foreign flag. The tanker apparently traveled without insurance and was already seriously damaged. The strait had to be closed for several hours, ARD recalls. At the same time, it is clear to everyone that a more serious accident in the Bosphorus could have dramatic consequences for both the environment and the residents of Istanbul.