The International Colloquium on Enforcement of Maritime Claims was held by DEHUKAM on October 12th, 2023, in the Conference Hall of the Republic of Türkiye Court of Cassation in Ankara, Türkiye. Academics, judges, lawyers and maritime sector representatives from both domestic and international backgrounds participated in the Colloquium.

In the opening speech, Zekeriya Birkan, member of the Board of Directors of DEHUKAM, expressed his belief that the Colloquium would be highly beneficial in a period of time in which efforts are underway to integrate the maritime execution provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code into the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Code and when the Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships is being proposed.

Prof. Dr. Necdet Ünüvar, the Rector of Ankara University, emphasized the significance of the term “blue homeland” and highlighted the substantial progress achieved by DEHUKAM, established within Ankara University in 2015. He concluded his speech by expressing his belief that the Colloquium would contribute significantly.

The First President of the Republic of Türkiye Court of Cassation, Mr. Mehmet Akarca, stressed the need for Türkiye to be leading and strong in all aspects of maritime activities and emphasized the importance of legal certainty in maritime trade.

Following the group photo, Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir delivered a Keynote Speech in which he comprehensively discussed recent developments in maritime enforcement law, including The Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships.

The program continued with three sessions led by Republic of Türkiye Court of Cassation’s First Vice President and President of the General Assembly of Law, Adem Albayrak; Istanbul University associate, Prof. Dr. Emine Yazıcıoğlu and the President of the 12th Civil Chamber of the Turkish Court of Cassation, Ayhan Tuncal.

We extend our thanks to all the speakers and participants from Türkiye and abroad who contributed to the Colloquium program.