Posted by meb at May 30th, 2008

A draft bill prepared by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İstanbul deputy Mehmet Domaç will exempt yachts, cutters and motorboats from vehicle and motor vehicle taxes.

The bill aims to persuade Turkish private vessel owners who currently register their boats with foreign countries to return to running their vessels under the Turkish flag. The regulation also aims to increase demand for maritime businesses by helping them lower costs, which have risen with increasing fuel costs. The bill has already been presented to a parliamentary commission and the government has given its full support to the proposals laid out in it.

The draft bill also calls for the formation of registry offices within port administrations across the country. All vessels owned by Turkish citizens, from small fishing boats to large freighters, will be obliged to register with one of these offices to be allowed to moor within Turkish borders. For a small fee, the offices will give them an annual license to dock in the country. The goal of this part of the bill is to get a better record of Turkey’s sea vessel stock. Turkey has more than 8,300 kilometers of coastline on three major seas.
source: Today’s Zaman