Türkiye's Coastal Safety General Directorate (KEGM), the agency responsible for traffic safety in the Turkish Straits, has taken another step in renewing its emergency response fleet. As part of the second tranche of its '6 Emergency Response Tug Procurement' project, KEGM signed a formal contract with Ereğli Shipyard, owned by Med Marine, for the construction of two new tugs. The new vessels will operate primarily in the Istanbul and Çanakkale Straits on emergency response and salvage missions.
The contract was signed by KEGM Director General Mustafa Bankaoğlu and Med Marine Holding Chairman R. Hakan Şen. The tugs will be built at Med Marine's Ereğli Shipyard in Zonguldak and will deliver 80 tons of bollard pull. Their design includes advanced fire-fighting (Fi-Fi 1), escort, emergency response and salvage capabilities. The yard, which uses green energy and environmentally friendly technologies, has not disclosed a delivery schedule.
The order extends a long-running collaboration between KEGM and Ereğli Shipyard. The yard previously took on the construction of escort tugs of at least 130 tons of bollard pull and 42 metres in length for KEGM. The new 80-ton tugs continue that series. Rising vessel tonnage and traffic density in the Turkish Straits have forced KEGM to continuously strengthen its response capacity; recent incidents—including the Kappa container ship grounding off Yeniköy and the engine failure of the Zephyr Prosper tanker in the Çanakkale Strait—have tested the agency's readiness.
The fleet modernization is strategically important for both maritime safety and Turkish shipbuilding. With the first tranche of the six-tug program awarded to Sanmar Shipyard and the second to Med Marine's Ereğli yard, KEGM's procurement reflects a public policy of channeling state orders to domestic shipbuilders. Given Ereğli Shipyard's international export track record and Med Marine's portfolio of custom-designed vessels, the new 80-ton tug pair is poised to become a meaningful component of regional maritime safety infrastructure.
Key Takeaways:
1. KEGM signed a contract with Med Marine's Ereğli Shipyard for two tugs as the second tranche of its six-tug procurement project.
2. The new tugs will deliver 80 tons of bollard pull and feature Fi-Fi 1 fire-fighting, escort and salvage capabilities.
3. Construction will take place at the Ereğli Shipyard in Zonguldak; the tugs will operate in the Istanbul and Çanakkale Straits.
4. The deal extends KEGM's long-running collaboration with Ereğli, which previously delivered 130-ton bollard pull escort tugs.
5. The first tranche of the project was awarded to Sanmar Shipyard; together the two contracts illustrate a policy of channeling state orders to domestic shipbuilders.
