In parallel with Türkiye expansion to the seas and the rising problems relating to international sea and maritime law, the need for studies in the field of the sea and maritime law and policies has been increasing day by day. Due to the fact that there are a limited number of academics in Türkiye who fulfil this need, it is crucial that academics throughout Turkey be assembled under a single roof and carry out academic work in cooperation with each other.

One of the priorities of the “Turkish National Marine Research Strategy (TUDAS) Document” (Official Gazette dated 2 November 2014 and numbered 29137) Action Plan, agreed through the Decree of the Council of Ministers numbered 2014/6798, has been, therefore, set as increasing the capacity and employment of research manpower in the field of “the sea and maritime law”.

In the line of this decision, with the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM) was established at Ankara University in order to bring together all the academics and other interests engaged in the sea and maritime law and policies in Türkiye. The regulation regarding the operation of the Center was published in the Official Gazette No. 29229 dated 7 January 2015.

In order to support the DEHUKAM’s activities according to the decision above, the legal personality of DEHUKAM was acknowledged under the Act numbered 6550 on the Support of Research Infrastructures on 7 October 2020 with the title of Ankara University National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law. Accordingly DEHUKAM has become a National Center of Türkiye in the sea and maritime law.

The purpose of the Center is to carry out scientific research in the field of the sea and maritime law and policies, to train expert personnel in this field, to contribute to the development of Turkish sea and maritime law and policies through cooperation with the related national or international public instituti¬ons, organizations as well as real and legal persons.

The scientific activities to be organized within DEHUKAM, the specialist library to be established and joint studies with institutions abroad will raise awareness and encourage scientific studies regarding the sea and maritime law and policies. Moreover, the opportunities that DEHUKAM is to offer to the relevant persons will direct academics to work in the field of the sea and mari¬time law and policies and will contribute to its studies.