General cargo ship passing through the Bosphorus

Türkiye, 41°00′N 28°59′E

Bunker Supplier in Istanbul

Bunkering in Istanbul mostly takes place by barge at the anchorages off the Bosphorus entrances. A transiting ship may anchor for up to 168 hours with permission and take fuel. Our office is in Kadıköy.

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Photo: Julian Nyča, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sulphur
0.50% under way, 0.10% at berth and at anchor over two hours
Delivery
Mostly by barge at anchor
Authority
Harbour master and Turkish Straits VTS
Products
Fuel oil, MGO, marine lubricants

Bunkering in Istanbul

The Bosphorus is the northern arm of the Turkish Straits route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Ships carrying grain, crude, oil products and dry cargo wait at designated anchorages before or after the transit and take fuel during that wait. Article 11 of the Turkish Straits Maritime Traffic Regulation provides for this explicitly.

The regulation touches the receiving ship in two ways. It may bunker within 168 hours without free pratique and sail on, but a May 2025 letter warns that anchoring outside the zones at the southern entrance can bring sanctions and an inspection at the owner's cost. Ships with an air draft of 58 m or more may not pass the Bosphorus. Ships calling at Marmara ports such as Ambarlı and Tuzla take fuel at their own berths or port anchorages; Ambarlı has its own page.

Crude tanker White Trader in the Bosphorus
Crude tanker White Trader in the Bosphorus Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bunkering Process in Istanbul

  1. Ship Position

    State where the ship will be: at berth, at the southern entrance or at the northern entrance. Your agent gives the actual anchorage.

  2. Transit Timing

    Ships of 500 GT and above file the SP-1 report at least 24 hours before the strait entrance. The stem is planned around this report and the 168-hour window.

  3. Barge Delivery

    Under the Ports Regulation a bunker vessel up to 1,000 GT takes no pilot. One of 1,001 to 3,000 GT may work without pilot or tug if its master has the training the Administration specifies.

  4. Delivery Documents

    The ship keeps the BDN for three years and the sealed MARPOL sample stays under its control for at least 12 months. Foreign-flag ships also need customs paperwork for the delivery.

Bunkering Requirements in Istanbul

Rules change. Confirm current practice with the port agent.

  • Sulphur Limit

    The Marmara and the Straits are outside the Mediterranean ECA, so 0.50% applies under way. Türkiye's regulation applies 0.10% at berth and at anchor for more than two hours. Scrubbers count as an equivalent method.

  • Anchorage Zones

    The Maritime Directorate letter of 07.05.2025 provides for administrative sanctions and tug escort when ships anchor outside the zones at the southern entrance and in the Ambarlı area. A March 2025 circular directs ships drifting in the Marmara to Ambarlı areas 2, 3 and 4, with Yalova 1 and 2 as alternatives.

  • Pollution Fines

    In the 2026 tariff, fines are doubled in the Marmara, the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and Izmit Bay. Repeat offences increase them further.

  • Rules Across Türkiye

    Fuel delivery to ships is called ihrakiye in Turkish law, and Trade Ministry circular 2024/3 requires the supplier to hold the relevant EPDK licence. Article 34 of the Ports Regulation limits bunkering to quays, jetties and anchorages the harbour master approves, and requires the supplying vessel to carry pollution liability insurance. Customs may compare fuel on board with the arrival declaration; a local agent's alert says any excess can be treated as smuggling and taken ashore. On scrubbers, a 2020 letter from the Maritime Directorate says there is no general ban on washwater discharge but sludge may not go into the sea. The American Club's summary of the 2026 fine tariff lists "foam scrubber system wash water" among fined wastes, so ask your agent before discharging.

World ECA map: 0.10% sulphur areas

Products and Quotes for Istanbul

We quote for fuel oil (including VLSFO), gas oil (MGO) and marine lubricants. For details see Fuel Oil and Gas Oil and Marine Oils.

Istanbul Bunker Supply: Common Questions

Can a ship transiting the Bosphorus stop for bunkers?

Yes. Article 11 of the regulation lets a ship in non-stop transit stay at a designated anchorage for up to 168 hours with VTS permission and take fuel during that stay. Beyond that it must obtain free pratique.

Which sulphur limit applies in Istanbul?

0.50% for a ship only transiting, and 0.10% at berth and at anchor over two hours under Türkiye's regulation.

Can weather stop bunkering?

Yes. The Ports Regulation lets the harbour master restrict bunkering for weather and sea conditions. In November 2023, winds of 25 to 44 knots disrupted deliveries in Istanbul.

Bunker Supply at Other Ports

All ports (25)
Sources (11)

This page is general information, not legal advice. Last checked: 4 November 2026.