• As per Maritime traffic regulations in the Turkish Straits masters should send a Sailing plan 1 (SP 1) to I.T.S. head office in Istanbul, fax no: 90 212 275 18 65 – 66, 48 hours prior to arrival to Mehmetcik if proceeding from Aegean Sea, or Gallipoli if proceeding from Marmara Sea. Sample is enclosed.

• Masters should inform the name, flag, call sign, report position, approprite time of arrival to the entrance of the strait, whether they request pilot, whether the vessel has navigating difficulity and other related information, through VHF, 2 hrs before arriving at the entrance of the strait, or when at a distance of 20nm. From the entrance of the strait, whichever comes first. Likewise, vessels departing from the harbours of Istanbul and Canakkale shall submit sailing plan to the traffic control center / stations 2 hrs. before departure in written format or by means of VHF.

• While navigating through the Turkish straits, within the traffic separation lanes, those vessels which have to leave the traffic separation scheme to berth, moor to a buoy, drop anchor, turn back or due to breakdowns, emergency and similar exceptional circumstances shall inform the traffic control station.

• The speed of vessels passing through the straits of Istanbul and Canakkale is 10 knots.

• Vessels navigating in the straits of Istanbul and Canakkale shall not overtake vessels proceeding a head of them unless necessary. Vessels passing through the the straits of Istanbul and Canakkale in same direction shall maintain a distance of at least 8 cables (1600 yards) between each other. Traffic control center may implement a wider distance according to the type of vessel.
• Vessels that sail through the state of Istanbul in compliance with the traffic separation scheme, shall pay attention to the warning lights of the bridges regarding sailing safety vessels whose air draft is 58 m. and more may not pass through the starits of Istanbul.

• If any visitor will board the ship I.T.S. head office should be notified one day before ship’s arrival. A copy of identity of visitors is required in order to obtain permission from the authorities.

• For ships passing in transit through the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus without calling at a port within the Marmara Sea, pilotage is not compulsory. However, for transit passage pilot is highly recommended. For ships proceeding to a port within the Marmara Sea or coming there through the Dardanelles / Bosphorus, pilotage is compulsory.