A total of 2800 vessels, including Cyprus flagged, and other EU or non EU flag vessels managed from Cyprus, are not allowed to trade in Turkey, Minister of Communications and Works Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis has said, calling for the lifting of the illegal embargo, which Turkey imposes on Cyprus.

In her opening address at the European Sea Ports Community (ESPO) 2011 Conference, which takes place in the coastal town of Limassol, the Minister said that Turkey is knowingly opposing the development of ports by preventing ships, under the Cyprus flag or ships irrespective of flag but managed from Cyprus-based companies or having as last port of call Cyprus ports, from entering Turkish ports.

“Taking into account that Cyprus features the largest ship management industry in the world and the total fleet managed from Cyprus represents 25% of the world third-party ship management market in terms of gross tonnage, it is quite obvious how harmful such restrictive measures are and how extensive the financial losses are, especially for EU interests“, she stressed.

The Minister pointed out that such measures constitute serious obstacles and distortions in the direction of free trade and fair and free competition in shipping trade within the EU.