One of DEHUKAM’s areas of activity is providing consultancy services to relevant institutions, organizations, and private sector stakeholders in all matters related to the sea. During the 2023 Ordinary Meeting of the Navigation, Hydrography, and Oceanography Services Planning and Coordination Board, a recommendation was adopted to seek legal opinions/information from DEHUKAM as necessary in the activities of institutions, organizations, and universities ‘regarding the protection of maritime rights and interests’; this decision was subsequently communicated to all board member organizations through the Presidential Decree dated July 3, 2023, numbered 162272. In line with this decision, DEHUKAM provides consultancy services on maritime law matters to all institutions, organizations, and private sector stakeholders as needed, within its capabilities and capacity.

In this context, DEHUKAM provides consultancy services in the field of maritime law to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change regarding the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution and the Bucharest Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry concerning the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to address issues related to Marine Invasive Alien Species, and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for processes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, specifically the Convention on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). Additionally, DEHUKAM provides consultancy services to the TP-OTC company within the framework of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO).

Within the scope of these consultancy activities, legal opinions have been provided on the following matters in accordance with the specific requests of institutions and organizations:

• Legal opinions have been prepared for the MAP Focal Points Meeting (2023)
• Legal opinions have been prepared for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (2023)
• An information note has been prepared regarding Drifting Mines in the Black Sea (2023)
• DEHUKAM has provided views to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey regarding statements that the Turkish delegation could make during the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (2023) within the framework of the Inter-Governmental Negotiating Committee (2023)
• DEHUKAM has provided views to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey regarding the research that the METEOR ship intends to conduct in the Eastern Mediterranean (2023)
• DEHUKAM has provided views to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey regarding the opinions that the Turkish delegation could express during the Mediterranean Action Plan Focal Points Meeting (2023)
• DEHUKAM has prepared the Specialized Commission Report on Maritime Transportation for the Twelfth Development Plan (2024-2028) (2023)
• “Visit to Foreign Flagged Ships on the High Seas” – Republic of Türkiye Presidency of Communication (2023)
• “Black Sea Commission 42nd Extraordinary Meeting” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023)
• “Implementation of the Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023)
• “Extraordinary Meetings of the Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution within the Framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change (2023)
• “Organizational Structure of the Secretariat and Executive Directorate within the Framework of the Bucharest Convention” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change (2023)
• “Opinions Regarding Acceding to the BBNJ Agreement” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023)
• “Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate 12th Development Plan Specialized Commission on Maritime Transportation” (2023)
• “Translation of the Fishing Law of Equatorial Guinea” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (2022)
• “Draft Ship Registration Regulation” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (2022)
• “MV Rosaline A – Visit to a Foreign Ship” – Republic of Türkiye Ankara Republic Prosecutor’s Office (2021)
• “Innocent Passage Through Territorial Waters” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020)
• “Maritime Jurisdictions in the Mediterranean” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018)
• “The Legal Status of Istanbul Canal” – Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2015)