Pîrî Reis University and the Turkish Maritime Pilots Association held a panel titled "Safety and Sustainability at Sea: Legal and Environmental Transformation in Pilotage Services" on 12 May 2026 as part of Maritime Pilots Week. The panel addressed sustainability, emission reduction, energy efficiency, safety in pilot transfer operations, and legal responsibilities of maritime pilots in the shipping sector.
In opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Aykut Arslan (Dean of Pîrî Reis University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences), Maritime Pilot Nildeniz Sütçü Şen (President of the Turkish Maritime Pilots Association), and Maritime Pilot Miguel Vieira de Castro (President of the European Maritime Pilots Association) emphasized the critical importance of safety and sustainability-oriented transformation in maritime operations.
In the first session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tutku Eker İşcioğlu introduced the European Union-supported Greenport Alliances project. The project, involving universities and industry representatives from Türkiye, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria, develops educational content and sustainability initiatives targeting carbon emission reduction in port services. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Özdemir presented the SUDEMAR project, which aims to integrate sustainable development goals into the maritime sector across health, education, equality, economic growth, and sustainable communities. The project has developed a database, e-learning platform, and mobile application, all to be made freely accessible.
Faruk Doğan, Secretary General of the Turkish Port Operators Association, shared developments in the green transformation process at ports. Mustafa Berkan Taştan from GDS Research and Development evaluated solutions for operational ship energy efficiency and emission optimization. In the second session, Dr. Maritime Pilot Mustafa Sökücü presented a dynamic analysis of pilot transfer accidents; Maritime Pilot Tuğrul Oktaş provided technical information on pilot plug applications; and Dr. Canan Özlem Ilgın Çelik outlined the legal responsibilities of maritime pilots.
The panel emphasized that achieving sustainability targets in maritime requires not only technological transformation but also education, operational awareness, and behavioral change. The safety and environmental impact of pilotage services in Türkiye's strait traffic were examined within the framework of academic-industry collaboration supported by European Union projects.
Key Takeaways:
1. Pîrî Reis University and Turkish Maritime Pilots Association held a panel on safety and sustainability in pilotage services on 12 May.
2. Greenport Alliances project, with participation from 8 countries, develops educational content for carbon emission reduction in port services.
3. SUDEMAR project created a database and e-learning platform to integrate sustainable development goals into the maritime sector.
4. Dynamic analysis of pilot transfer accidents and pilot plug applications were discussed in a technical session.
5. The panel emphasized that achieving sustainability targets requires not only technological transformation but also education and operational awareness.
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