Seafarers: Türkiye is not among the states that have ratified the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 — what governs a crew claim in a Turkish port.

On 17 September 2026 we checked the International Labour Organization's list of ratifications of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. The list, at 113 ratifying states, does not include Türkiye. Statements that Türkiye applies the Convention as domestic law, or that its abandonment and repatriation standards can be invoked as Turkish law in a Turkish port, are therefore not correct.

What a crew in a Turkish port can rely on instead:

• the employment agreement and the law of the flag for wages, leave and termination;
• the Turkish Commercial Code for the maritime lien on wages, repatriation costs and social insurance contributions (TCC art. 1320), which ranks ahead of the mortgage (TCC art. 1323) and lapses one year after the seafarer leaves the vessel unless she is arrested (TCC art. 1326);
• the arrest of the vessel by the court of the port without the security other claimants must lodge (TCC arts 1355, 1363);
• for Turkish-flagged vessels of 100 gross tons and above, the Maritime Labour Law's rules on wages, termination and repatriation (Law No. 854 arts 1, 14, 21–25, 29).

Full explanation on the seafarers page and in the guide Crew wages unpaid in a Turkish port. We will update this notice if Türkiye ratifies.

Updates