The “2nd Sea and Maritime Law Summit” organized by the Ankara University National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), was held on April 14–15, 2026, at Ankara University Faculty of Law with strong participation and great interest.
The first day of the Summit commenced with opening remarks by Süleyman Önel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEHUKAM, and Prof. Dr. Harun Tanrıvermiş, Vice Rector of Ankara University. The speeches emphemphasized increasing strategic importance of the seas, the critical role of law of the sea for Türkiye, and the necessity of strengthening academia–public sector cooperation.
Within the scope of the program, Ambassador Burak Özügergin, Director General for Northeast Mediterranean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Ünal Baylan, Director General of Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and Turgay Türkyılmaz, Director General of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, delivered presentations on current developments. In the afternoon session, fundamental topics of sea and maritime law, Türkiye’s law of the sea policy, maritime trade law, and marine spatial planning were discussed.
The second day of the Summit began with opening speeches by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Ermenek, Dean of Ankara University Faculty of Law, and Dr. Mustafa Başkara, DEHUKAM CEO. The program continued with a keynote address by Rear Admiral Mehmet Emre Sezenler, Head of Operations at the Turkish Naval Forces Command.
Subsequent session addressed maritime energy activities, marine environmental law and the impacts of climate change on law of the sea. In the final session, practicing lawyers specializing in maritime law, Att. Sinan Güzel, Att. Selcan Koçak, Att. Burçe Çangır and Att. Nil Tütüncüoğlu shared their professional experiences with students under the moderation of Dr. Mustafa Başkara, DEHUKAM CEO.
In his closing remarks, Süleyman Önel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEHUKAM, stated that the sessions held over the two days provided a highly productive platform and emphasized that the institutional and academic capacity in the field of sea and maritime law continues to strengthen.
Throughout the two-day Summit, presentations and discussions enabled a comprehensive and multidimensional examination of current developments in sea and maritime law, fostering significant interaction among academia, public institutions and industry stakeholders.
