Erdogan: Increasing Tanker Traffic Has Been Threatening Not Only Environment But Security Of Our People

ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, ''increasing tanker traffic in the Straits has been threatening not only environment, but also security of millions of people living around straits. A tanker accident in Istanbul can lead unimaginable calamities.''
Speaking at a ceremony held on the occasion of delivery of the Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic and Information System to the Maritime Undersecretariat, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''besides their strategic importance, the Turkish Straits have a unique beauty. Also, the Straits have very important characteristics. Nearly 13 million people live around the Straits. One of them take place in the middle of Istanbul in which adherents of three monotheistic faiths live together in peace.''
''A part of Istanbul was included in the World Cultural Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Istanbul has the most important historical and cultural assets of Turkey,'' he said.
''Secondly, the Turkish Straits are among the most difficult straits of the world due to their physical characteristics. There are powerful flows, sharp turning points and changing weather conditions in the Straits. Therefore, protection of Istanbul is getting harder under such conditions. The Straits are the most intense straits of the world in regard to local and international sea traffic,'' he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan stressed, ''number of vessels passing through the Straits has increased ten times since 1936. More than 20 tankers pass the Straits every day. Number of tankers increased by 75 percent and amount of oil carried by these tankers rose by 100 percent in the last five years. All these developments entail us to keep security in the Turkish Straits on the highest level.''
''Increasing tanker traffic in the Straits has been threatening not only environment, but also security of millions of people living around straits. A tanker accident in Istanbul can lead unimaginable calamities,'' he added.
ERDOGAN: ''A CALAMITY TO STEM FROM EXPLOSION OF A TANKER CARRYING OIL AND LIQUID GAS IN ISTANBUL STRAIT WILL BE EQUALLY SERIOUS WITH A QUAKE DISASTER''
Erdogan said, ''a calamity to stem from explosion of a tanker carrying oil and liquid gas in the Istanbul Strait will be equally serious with a quake disaster. Our government will continue to take all necessary security measures to prevent such a calamity in the Turkish Straits with determination.''
Speaking at a ceremony held on the occasion of delivery of the Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic and Information System to the Maritime Undersecretariat, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''as you know, probability of a likely quake disaster in Istanbul is brought onto agenda from time to time. In fact, a calamity to stem from explosion of a tanker carrying oil and liquid gas in the Istanbul Strait will be equally serious with a quake disaster. Any country cannot be expected to remain silent against such a serious threat.''
''Our government will continue to take all necessary security measures to prevent such a calamity in the Turkish Straits with determination. Turkey's sensitivity and rightfulness about the Straits were confirmed also in international developments. Our government has been taking the steps to put an end or to decrease to the minimum level passages of tankers through the Straits. The most important of these steps is the project to transport oil from the Black Sea to the Aegean through pipelines. The target of security measures in the Straits is not to restrict free passage envisaged in the Montreux Treaty. On the contrary, we aim at taking free passage under guarantee,'' he emphasized.
Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''we are aware of importance of the Turkish Straits in regard to maritime trade and economic development of neighboring countries. The Straits will continue to fulfill an important function. However, continuation of this function depends on increasing security in the Straits.''
Noting that the aim of the system was to further increase ship traffic, life, property and environment security, Erdogan said that the system, which was financed by sources of country, would provide the facility for more actively implementation and supervision of measures taken in Straits regarding the secure passage.
Erdogan said, ''regardless of which system, including Vessel Traffic System, is set up, peculiar structure of Turkish Straits will not eliminate accident and disaster risk in Straits. Decreasing this risk is related with rapidly finding and implementing alternative ways in Turkish Straits in transportation of oil and other hazardous materials.''
Erdogan opened Facilities of VTS in Istinye after his speech.
Visiting operator working station in the facility, Erdogan received information about the system from officials.

(UK-GC-AÖ) 01.07.2003