Platform News – Authorities and industry discuss ship recycling in Turkey at NGO Shipbreaking Platform and IMPEL workshop
Following the publication of a report on the Turkish ship recycling sector in Aliağa, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) organised a workshop in Ankara, Turkey, on 10 December aimed at sharing knowledge and enhancing collaboration on ship recycling.
The workshop brought together representatives from the European Commission, IMPEL, DNVGL, industry and civil society representatives, as well as Turkish Ministries responsible for the ship recycling sector, including the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure; and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Several presentations gave the participants insights on how the ship recycling sector is regulated at national and EU level. Çağdaş Güneş from the Izmir Development Agency kick-started the discussions by presenting their analyses and possible future outlook for the sector. Okan Çetinkaya of the Ministry of Labour and Giray Işıyel from the İzmir Governorship Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization shared how their respective Ministries manage licensing and monitoring. Christelle Rousseau from the European Commission shared the updates on the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and procedures for approval on the EU List. Insights from inspections of ship recycling facilities in Aliağa were shared by Tone Knudsen-Fiskeseth of DNVGL.
IMPEL representatives shared best practices in ship recycling, with the contributions from Huib van Westen of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands and Beate Langset of Norway’s Environment Directorate. Evren Samur of HKTM introduced the SHEREC project on robotics and AI for ship recycling, followed by Ekin Sakin from the NGO Shipbreaking Platform who presented findings from the report Ship Recycling in Turkey: Challenges and Future Directions.
The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange ideas, including on ways to close existing legal gaps and improve information exchange. As a result of the discussions, participants emphasised the need for further cooperation and more effective sharing of data to enhance transparency and help identify possible ways forward for upgrading the ship recycling sector.
Related news
Platform News – Platform’s member BELA awarded the 2020 Tang Prize
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Tang Prize in Rule of Law.
... Read More
Press Release – Worst corporate dumpers asked to clean up their acts
Targeting sustainability and fleet managers, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls for the adoption of responsible ship recycling policies in letters sent to shipping companies standing out for… Read More
Press Release – Union Bay residents still fighting against hazardous shipbreaking
The infamous shipbreaking company DWR persists in scrapping vessels in blatant violation of international and national rules and standards.
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #44
Three workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the fourth quarter of 2025.
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #13
There were a total of 210 ships broken in the second quarter of 2017. 158 of these ships ended up on South Asian beaches for dirty and… Read More
Platform News – NGO Shipbreaking Platform demands European Ship Recycling Licence
In a position paper published today, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States to support the introduction of a… Read More
Platform News – Maersk incited business partner to opt for worst breaking practices for 14 ships
A third report by the investigative journalists of Danwatch, “Maersk and the shadowy deals”, reveals that the Danish container ship giant has incentivised the sale of 14… Read More
Platform News – Norway’s largest Pension Fund highlights human rights and environmental risks related to shipbreaking in South Asia
KLP, Norway’s largest pension fund [1], commissioned the International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI) [2] to write a report on the human rights and environmental risks related… Read More
