Ships under the Cypriot flag are facing a second Turkish embargo, said Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Chatzimanoli, noting that, in addition to the embargo on berthing in Turkish ports, ships under the Cypriot flag are prevented from transporting grain or other products from Ukraine, as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative aspect is directly intertwined with the Turkish embargo and is for Cyprus a second embargo, since ships flying the flag of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU Member State, or managed by Cyprus are prevented by Turkey from engaging in the sea transport of grain or other goods under the Black Sea Trading Initiative”, said Mrs Hatzimanoli both speaking before parliament’s Committee on Transport and in her statements after the meeting.
He noted that the ban does not only apply to ships under the Cypriot flag but also extends to ships managed by Cyprus.
Ms Hatzimanoli also stressed that Cyprus will not support a Turkish candidacy for the post of Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as Ankara is blocking the docking of Cyprus-flagged ships in Turkish ports.
At the same time, Ms. Hatzimanoli said that due to the latest international developments and the sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent deletions of ships, the Cypriot fleet “unfortunately has been significantly reduced”.
Speaking before the committee, Mrs Hatzimanoli mentioned out of the 1,752 registered in the Cypriot register with a capacity of 25 million tonnes. in July 2021, the fleet was reduced to 1,663 tonnage of 22 million.
