Introduction Of Istanbul VTS and Local Traffic Control Center

Istanbul Strait is one of the difficult and congested water ways in the world. Number of transit vessel is increasing day by day. Last year over than 55,000 vessels passed through Istanbul Strait and over than 2100 local vessel running at the southern entrance of the strait. VTS has been established in order to provide navigational assistance and minimize risks due to difficult navigational characteristic of strait and congested marine traffic in 2003. In the Istanbul Strait VTS system consist from 5 sectors which are controlled by different operators. AIS Class-A is compulsory for all the vessels which are navigating at international waters and over than 300 grt. AIS is highly effective and useful tool for VTS and AIS device has been used effectively in the Strait, since the establishment of VTS. But local vessels were not using AIS device and local vessel traffic one of the problem in the strait due to high number of ship movement. Turkish Government wanted to control local vessels same as transit vessel and supported AIS Class-B research and development. Finally, AIS Class-B device and local traffic control center established. In this presentation Istanbul Strait VTS, Local Traffic Control Center and AIS Class-B device will be introduced.