The Seafarers’ Platform held a press conference today at the Kadıköy Pier, demanding that the safety of seafarers working in the Black Sea and other war zones be ensured, and calling for an end to workplace fatalities, lack of oversight, and precarious working conditions in the maritime sector. In the statement, issued with the support of DİSK Limter-İş, DGD-SEN, various unions, and political parties, it was noted that maritime workers are being forced to work under life-threatening conditions in war zones, while shipowners and companies continue to prioritize their profits. The Maritime Workers’ Platform demanded an end to the labor regime that disregards the safety of maritime workers.

The press statement was delivered by Ahmet Baran Çen, a volunteer with the Seafarers’ Platform who is himself a seafarer. The statement recalled the Kafkametler, Bilal Bal, and Batuhan A ship disasters that occurred off the coast of Silivri, in Girne, and previously in the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, noting that a lack of oversight, negligence, and the pursuit of profit lie behind accidents in the maritime sector. It was emphasized that maritime workers—who transport a large portion of global trade—are speaking out against the rising number of workplace fatalities and harsh working conditions.

Seafarers in War Zones Are Being Targeted
The Platform highlighted that civilian merchant ships have become targets in the Black Sea due to the Russia-Ukraine war, in the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran-Israel/U.S. conflict, and in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks. It was noted that while large corporate fleets are avoiding these war zones, local shipowners are sending their older, poorly maintained vessels there due to high freight rates.

The statement noted that, under international treaties and regulations, seafarers have the right to refuse to sail to war zones; however, it was also stated that shipowners are forcing seafarers to sail these routes by threatening them with unemployment and by invoking contract clauses that have been deemed legally invalid.

“Let It Pass Inspection, Let the Propeller Turn”
In the statement, which also criticized the inspection mechanisms in the maritime sector, it was noted that shipowners purchase and operate substandard vessels—and those that should be scrapped—at low costs. The statement called into question the inspections conducted by flag states, port states, and classification societies, emphasizing that these inspections are limited to paperwork and snapshots.

In the statement, which noted that ships are experiencing staff shortages, insufficient provisions, delayed maintenance, and chronic fatigue, it was pointed out that seafarers—who appear to have had adequate rest on paper—are in fact facing long working hours and sleep deprivation. It was also stated that attributing responsibility for potential accidents to the crew on the grounds of “human error” serves to cover up the systemic problems.

The platform noted that, through the “flag of convenience” system, shipowners are able to evade local inspections by flying flags such as those of Panama and Liberia and take advantage of legal loopholes.

Taşkıran: Capital Has
No Flag, No Homeland Speaking at the protest, Beycan Taşkıran, General Secretary of the Limter-İş Union, said that developments in the maritime sector are linked to the war policies of international capital. Noting that the working class is made to pay the price for these war policies, Taşkıran stated that shipowners act in their own self-interest, adding, “Capital has no flag, no homeland.”

Noting that seafarers from different nations face similar problems on the same ships, Taşkıran said that practices remain the same despite changes in flag.

Taşkıran demanded that the government fulfill its responsibilities and ensure that rights enshrined on paper are actually enforced. Calling on maritime workers to unite in shipyards, on ships, in warehouses, and in bonded warehouses, Taşkıran emphasized the need to organize the struggle.

“Seafarers who are not a party to the war should not pay the price”
Speaking at the protest about the death of his brother, Savaş Çakar, who lost his life while on a voyage in international waters, Abbas Çakar also emphasized that seafarers are not a party to wars. Çakar said his brother had set out on a voyage in international waters to earn a living and was killed after being targeted in the midst of a war in which he was not a party.

Noting that behind the numbers cited in news reports about ships and loss of life lie the sorrows experienced by families, Çakar said he had experienced that pain firsthand when he lost his brother. “Behind each of those numbers are unfulfilled dreams and families whose homes have been shattered by grief,” Çakar said. “I felt that pain deep in my heart when I lost my own brother.”

Reacting to the targeting of unarmed merchant ships in international waters, Çakar said that the attacks in the Black Sea and other international waters constitute war crimes. Çakar also characterized drone attacks on unarmed merchant ships as war crimes, asking, “By what right, under what law, are unarmed ships—which are simply trying to make a living—being attacked in international waters?”

“Seafarers are not anyone’s target”
Noting that seafarers, who are not parties to the war, have lost their lives due to the fighting, Çakar said that seafaring is one of the most difficult professions in the world. Stating that targeting unprotected ships constitutes a violation of international maritime law, Çakar called attacks on merchant ships “immoral and murderous.”

Stating that seafarers cannot be made the target of conflicts, Çakar said, “Seafarers are not anyone’s punching bag. These people, who shoulder the burden of our ‘Blue Homeland’ and global trade, cannot be forced to pay the price in conflicts in which they take no side. Ships are their livelihoods. They cannot be turned into traps where innocent people are targeted.”

“Officials Must Not Remain Silent”
Expressing outrage not only at the attacks but also at the officials’ silence, Çakar noted that Turkey is surrounded by seas on three sides and said that steps must be taken against the targeting of citizens in international waters. “The leaders of our country, which is surrounded by seas on three sides, must not remain silent while our people are being shot at in international waters and war crimes are being committed,” Çakar said.

Noting that ignoring the attacks has emboldened the perpetrators, Çakar called for the safety of sailors to be ensured. Saying that families who have experienced similar suffering are not alone, Çakar stated, “In defiance of those who fuel this climate of fear by remaining silent, we will not remain silent.”

Çakar asked officials what steps would be taken to protect unarmed ships and seafarers in international waters, stating that ensuring the safety of citizens is a fundamental responsibility of the state.

Çakar, paying tribute to the sailors who lost their lives in the war and to his brother Savaş Çakar, said that the attacks and the authorities’ silence would not be forgotten. “We will neither forget the attacks that were carried out nor be complicit in this silence,” Çakar said. “Until justice is served, until our sailors can sail safely, this righteous voice will not be silenced. The sailors will no longer remain silent.”

Hasan Can Bilici / Evrensel