"As of July 1, 2023, we are renewing that levy again to $4.42," Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu was quoted by Turkish newspaper as saying.
As a result of the increase Turkiye will earn an estimated $900 million from passage fees, the anothe local newspaper reported, citing the decision of the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
Last October, Turkish authorities increased the passage fees five-fold to $4.08, with the amount normally calculated on the basis of the gold franc since the signing of the Montreux Convention, which regulates navigation in the Turkish straits. Gold franc equaled $0.8 when the convention was signed in 1936.
The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits of 1936 ensures the freedom of passage through Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits for merchant ships both in times of peace and war. The document limits the period of stay in the Black Sea of warships of non-Black Sea states to three weeks. In emergency situations, Turkey has the right to prohibit or restrict the passage of military ships through the straits.