The Panama Ship Registry’s executives visited Turkey to meet maritime companies, strengthen relationship, and optimize the performance of the fleet.

 

Panama is among the Top 5 of most used flags in Turkey, with 340 vessels, representing more than 2.5M gt, according to Clarksons Research.

 

The Director General of Merchant Marine, Rafael Cigarruista met with the Consul General of Panama in Istanbul, Abraham Segovia and his staff, to give them the latest statistics and inform about the new technological projects to improve processing times. Consul Segovia said the will work closely with the Registry’s central office for the benefit of the Registry's users.

 

The delegation visited the President of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Maritime Chamber, Tamer Kiran, and its directors. Mr. Kiram gave the Registry’s officials an overview of the composition of the Turkish fleet and the country's maritime sector and thank them for the attention he has received from the Istanbul Consulate and the Panamanian Administration.

 

The Registry executives held an important meeting with the ASI Inspectors established in Turkey, during which the head of the Registry, Rafael Cigarruista, and Mr Lau , head of the Port State Department, made a presentation on the goals and objectives of the flag inspection program, the commitment and what is expected from the inspectors, the results of the annual evaluations, and the procedure and sanctions for inspectors who do not comply with their duties, as well as technological improvements, statistics on flag inspections, maritime incidents and the compliance percentages of the Panamanian fleet in different Memoranda of Understanding.

 

"The approach, as a country, is different to prevent the name of our country from being compromised; we are ready to take the necessary actions. Times have changed, so the participation we have with other organizations and the exchange of information is essential to maintain the good performance of the Panamanian fleet," said Cigarruista.

 

There were numerous meetings and visits to companies to show the benefits enjoyed by the Panama-flagged vessels, such as the Maritime Agreement with China, the incentive program, the global coverage network and the Registry's improvements in technology.

 

Among the companies visited were Arel Shipping, Canbaz Denizcilik, Medkon Lines, Akaylar Denizcilik, Lidya Marine, YASA Holdings S.A., GN Group and the Recognized Organization Türk Loydu, as well as the Secretary General of the Turkish Shipyards Association, Mehtap Karahalli Ozdemir. The visit to Turkey is part of the Panama Ship Registry’s action plan to attract new clients, build loyalty with the customers and get closer to strategic partners.