Cabotage Rights and Their Application in Türkiye
The concept of cabotage, Türkiye's Law No. 815 by article, examples of where the line falls, US and EU rules, and cabotage in the air and on the road.
Cabotage is the reservation of transport between points within a country for carriers of that country's own flag. Türkiye's rule rests on Law No. 815, adopted on 19 April 1926 and in force since 1 July 1926. It gives Turkish-flagged ships the carriage of passengers and goods between Turkish coasts, together with port services, while foreign ships may carry between foreign and Turkish ports in either direction.[1]
Meaning and Origin of the Term
The word comes from the French cabotage, meaning short voyages along a coast. Today it refers to a national market closed to foreign carriers, and it has two sides. One is sovereignty, the right of a state to regulate its own internal transport. The other is economic protection for the national fleet, shipyards and seafaring jobs.
There is no single international cabotage convention. Each country sets its own rule in domestic law, so scope and exceptions vary widely. The wider legal setting is covered in the maritime law guide.
Law No. 815 in Türkiye
Under the capitulations of the Ottoman era, coastal trade had been open to foreign ships. After Lausanne, the new law reserved it for the Turkish flag.[2] The text is short but regulates three separate areas, cabotage, activity in inland waters and maritime occupations, as the summary below shows.
| Article | Subject | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabotage | Passenger and goods carriage between Turkish coasts and port services reserved for Turkish-flagged ships |
| 2 | Inland waters | Commercial carriage on rivers, lakes, the Marmara basin, straits, gulfs and in ports reserved for Turkish nationals |
| 3 | Maritime occupations | Fishing, diving, pilotage, service as master or crew and port portering reserved for Turkish nationals |
| 4 | Exceptions | Temporary permission possible for foreign salvage ships and vessels used in petroleum operations |
| 5 | Sanctions | Administrative fines and detention of the ship |
Source: text of Law No. 815.[1]
Article 5, as amended in 2008, sets administrative fines of TRY 1,000 to 25,000 for masters of ships breaching Article 1 and for owners of foreign-owned craft, with a foreign-owned ship held in port until payment. Foreigners exercising rights reserved for Turkish citizens face fines of TRY 500 to 5,000, and the vessel may be kept from sailing.[1] These are the amounts in the 2008 text.
Law No. 6491 of 2013 added a provision allowing foreign petroleum right holders to carry out exploration and production in Turkish territorial waters.[1] Since 1935, 1 July has been marked as Cabotage Day, renamed Maritime and Cabotage Day in 2007.[2]
Where the Line Falls in Practice
The test looks at where the cargo moves from and to. The table gives examples of the general rule. Real cases still depend on the type of cargo, permits and current regulations.
| Example movement | General rule |
|---|---|
| Cargo from Izmir to Mersin | Between Turkish ports, within cabotage |
| Cargo from Hamburg to Mersin | International voyage, open to a foreign flag |
| Cargo from Mersin to Piraeus | International voyage, open to a foreign flag |
| Ferry line within the Marmara | Domestic service, Turkish flag |
| Towage and pilotage in port | Port services, relevant to Articles 1 and 3 |
| Bunkering a foreign ship in port | Local rules are assessed for the supplying craft |
The commercial effect is easy to see around Istanbul. Short-sea cargo and ferry services in the Marmara, along with tugs and pilots, are run by Turkish operators, while the foreign ship on an international voyage calls, works its cargo and leaves.
The law also says who applies the penalties: the local civil administrator decides fines and the harbour master other measures. The Article 4 exception is a temporary permission that creates no acquired right, and it also allows foreign specialists, masters and crew on Turkish salvage ships.[1]
Flag and Register
Because the right attaches to the flag, the question of which ships may fly it decides who benefits. Under Law No. 4490, ships on the Turkish International Ship Register also fly the Turkish flag, but those without the right to fly it cannot benefit from Law No. 815.[3] The ship registration guide describes the registers and their conditions. In structures with foreign shareholders the outcome can turn on the facts, so specialist advice is the sensible course.
Maritime Cabotage Elsewhere
United States
The best-known law of this kind is the Jones Act of 1920. A vessel trading between US ports must generally fly the US flag, be built in the United States, and be owned and crewed by US citizens.[4] Passengers come under the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886.
Waivers are rare, but 2026 produced one. Amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis and rising energy prices, a limited 60-day waiver was issued on 17 March 2026.[4] It was first extended to 16 August and then, on 10 August, for a further 90 days. The second extension narrowed the scope, added voyage-by-voyage review and set an end date in mid-November 2026.[5]
European Union
Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92, adopted on 7 December 1992 and applied from 1 January 1993, opened maritime cabotage to Community shipowners whose ships are registered in and fly the flag of a member state. Some services were phased in: Mediterranean island cabotage and regular passenger and ferry services opened on 1 January 1999, while in Greece regular passenger and ferry services and services by ships under 650 gross tons stayed outside until 1 January 2004.[6] The freedom covers EU shipowners and EU flags, and does not extend to third-country flags.
Other Examples
Archipelagic states in Asia treat cabotage as economic policy. Indonesia moved to a strict regime in 2005, while the Philippines allowed foreign ships, under conditions, to carry the domestic leg of import and export cargo. The argument is the same everywhere: protect the national fleet and its jobs, or bring down freight costs for islands and coastal regions.
Cabotage in the Air and on the Road
The idea began at sea and spread to other modes. In aviation, Article 7 of the 1944 Chicago Convention lets a state refuse foreign airlines permission to carry traffic between points in its own territory. Within the EU, Community carriers may fly in each other's domestic markets.
On the road, Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 allows limited cabotage in the EU: up to three domestic operations within seven days after unloading an international delivery. Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 kept that limit and added a four-day cooling-off period before the same vehicle can return to that market.[7]
Economic Effects of Cabotage
Supporters point to the national fleet, seafaring jobs, shipbuilding and access to national capacity in a crisis. Critics argue that limited competition can raise freight costs and make transport dearer for islands and coastal regions. The 2026 debate in the United States put this plainly, with groups seeking lower energy prices on one side and maritime organisations on the other. The size of the effect depends on fleet structure, route density and alternative transport.
Frequently asked questions
What is cabotage?
Cabotage is the reservation of transport between points within a country for carriers of that country's own flag.
What does the right of cabotage mean?
It is a country's right to reserve transport between its own ports for ships flying its flag. In Türkiye this is governed by Law No. 815.
Why is Cabotage Day on 1 July?
Law No. 815 entered into force on 1 July 1926. The day has been marked since 1935.
Can a foreign-flagged ship bring cargo to a Turkish port?
Article 1 allows carriage from foreign ports to Turkish ports and the reverse. Carriage between Turkish ports is what falls within cabotage.
Sources
- Law No. 815 on Maritime Transport along the Coasts of Türkiye (Cabotage) and the Conduct of Trades and Commerce in Ports and Territorial Waters, Official Gazette, 29 April 1926, No. 359.
- Atatürk Ansiklopedisi. Kabotaj Bayramı.
- Law No. 4490 on the Turkish International Ship Register, Official Gazette, 21 December 1999, No. 23913.
- Watson Farley and Williams. 2026 Jones Act Waiver: What You Need to Know, 2026.
- Seafarers International Union. Jones Act Waiver Extended Again, September 2026; NEFI. Jones Act Waiver Extended 90 Days, 2026.
- Council Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92, 7 December 1992.
- European Parliament. MEPs Adopt Revised Rules for Road Haulage Operations; Trans.info. Cabotage in Europe.
