Blame It on the Amateur: A Maritime Perspective

THE PENALTY FOR LOVING THE SEA AND YOUR FLAG; 5-FOLD INCREASE

Welcome 2021. 

Hoping that the pessimistic days of 2020 would end in the new year, in the first days of 2021 which we entered with hope, an assessment notice that came to amateur sailors was a harbinger of what the new year would be like.

75 TL, 114 TL, 600 TL

While short-range radio license fees were 75 TL in previous years, they were paid as 114 TL last year.

In the notification received by amateur sailors, it was written that the amount to be paid this year was increased from 114 TL to 600 TL.

First thinking it must be a mistake and doubting their eyes, sailors gradually understood the truth with news appearing on social media.

IF YOU SELL THE RADIO YOU CAN BARELY PAY ITS TAX

In today's world when buying the radio itself ranges between 900-3,000 TL, an annual tax of 600 TL was not comprehensible.

What did it mean for these devices, which are kept on boats for life and property safety purposes, to have taxes at a rate that cannot be compared with their own values?

These devices cannot store data, send voice or video messages, or browse social media. 

So then, while cell phones that can do all of these things don't have such a fee, this kind of increase in a fee that was already unnecessarily collected.

Indeed, the usage of radios that are required to be kept on boats for safety purposes is even one-thousandth of that of cell phones.

While these instruments are actually fixtures of boats and should not require a separate usage fee when being registered, how is an increase on top of that even possible?

I DID IT AND THAT'S THAT, YOU MUST COMPLY

Isn't this the mentality of "I did it and that's that, you must comply"?

They say it's an inflation increase - 7% salary increase for employees and retirees, but a 5-fold tax increase for amateur sailors.

This decision and notification inevitably pushes amateur sailors to have other concerns.

2022 COULD BE A YEAR OF BIG SURPRISES

They don't even want to think about boat fees, whose collection was suspended for 5 years, being announced with this logic soon.

What was the application; "To increase the number of Turkish-flagged boats in our waters".

A 5-year tax exemption was applied.

Many sailors didn't trust this decision and didn't make the switch to Turkish Flag.

Those who didn't make this switch are now commenting on social media about the situations of those who switched to Turkish Flag and got hit with the burden of fees.

THOSE WHO DIDN'T SWITCH TO TURKISH FLAG DON'T HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM

The applications make people say "So they were right after all".

In the last taxes paid, taxation of marine vessels was already based only on length, not according to engine power or production year.

With this unclear application, a 30-year-old 14 mt. boat that was paying 150 TL annual tax had its tax rise above 2,000 TL in recent years.

A boat of the same size with 2x300 HP engines was paying the same tax.

Its tax drops from 14-15,000 TL to 2,000 TL, while the other rises from 150 TL to 2,000 TL levels.

Can the fuel consumed by the large engine, the toxic gases it releases into the air be compared with a sailboat? 

I'm not even mentioning its value.

Where was the justice in this?

In environments where justice and logic cannot be questioned, evasions begin.

WILL ILLEGAL HANDHELD RADIOS COME INTO PLAY?

What will happen if those who cancel their boat radios and attempt to sail with handheld radios obtained through illegal means multiply?

APPLICATIONS TO CİMER

Amateur sailors active on social media have already started seeking solutions to these developments.

Some are first requesting to learn the justifications of the decision through CİMER, and if necessary, want the mistake to be corrected with a new decision.

Other sailors are in favor of filing a lawsuit collectively without wasting time. 

There are volunteer amateur sailor lawyers who will file and follow up on the lawsuits without charging any fee.

Addresses, lists, petition templates have already started to spread.

We received opinions from some of our Amateur Sailors.

What do they think?

What will they do?

ERGUN MENGİ

Dear authority, 

“While saying ‘We must make Turkey maritime-oriented, we must also be in the Blue Homeland. We must use the seas,’ a financial blow came to small boat owners who serve the maritime power. 

In 2021, invoices of 600 TL were sent by the KEGM radio department.

This fee, which was 114 TL last year, has been increased by more than 5 times this year to 600 TL.

In fact, this fee resembles the old radio and TV stamps. 

And it should no longer be collected in 2021. 

Especially, it should not be done at all by our ministry that signed the 1 Million Amateur Sailors campaign to develop the maritime sector.

If the matter were to be complained to the Ministry of Commerce for Excessive Price Increase, even the Ministry of Commerce would oppose this.

First of all, I respectfully request that the radio fee be completely abolished or at least that the necessary correction be made to collect it this year with only a 14% increase."

My CİMER complaint petition sample

Dear Authority, 

As a boat owner, the radio usage fee/charge we pay annually to the Coastal Safety General Directorate (75 TL in 2019, 115 TL in 2020) has increased from 115 TL to 600 TL as of 2021 with an excessive increase of 1.7 times. The institution is reluctant to provide any justification and information regarding the matter. 

I respectfully request that the financial errors arising from the fact that the increase in the fee amount exceeds the revaluation rate in the Fees Law, and also that it has not been graduated, no commercial-private distinction has been made, no boat length or value distinction has been made, be corrected, and that the necessary action be taken for the reasonable price increase to be at the level of inflation and revaluation.

ALİ RIZA ÖZOĞUL

"This action is unjust, unlawful and immoral. 

It is the sabotage of the development of Amateur Yachting.

It has no logic; if it is not a material error, it is malicious intent, it is abuse of duty and despite having no relevance, it is an attempt to exploit the community they perceive as a high-income class.

If it is not a material error; as a result of irresponsible behavior by a certain segment within the institution, this decision creates a sense of distrust in our country's moral and legal values and evokes the feeling that similar practices will continue. 

First of all, this recent practice is, in my opinion, a material error and I fully believe that it will be corrected. 

For this reason, the institution should be persistently asked to make a statement and a reasonable period should be waited. 

Meanwhile, contact should also be made with the Ministry of Transport, which is a higher authority. It should be disclosed with this erroneous practice how the Ministry's incentive practices under the scope and protection of the Turkish flag transfer law for the purpose of encouraging and supporting amateur yachting have been sabotaged. 

The Ministry must definitely be brought into action to prevent maritime enthusiasts who love the Turkish flag and trust their state and laws from being hurt by feelings of betrayal, and to ensure that employees who are instrumental in such practices receive the criminal sanctions they deserve. 

Additionally, a complaint should be filed at CİMER, the Presidential Communication Center; it should be invited to fulfill its duty of following up on irregularities, arbitrariness and behaviors that create loss of confidence.

As a member of amateur sailors, it is not possible for us to accept this exorbitant price increase at the B1 rate brought to the radio fee. We should insist as all amateur sailors on correcting this wrong decision through peaceful means, and if we do not get results, we should continue our pursuit of rights through the relevant T.C. courts." 

MESUT YALÇIN

"Yesterday, when I saw the 2021 Radio License Fee figure of 600 TL coming from the Coast Guard, I thought this figure must be wrong, we didn't pay this much fee, and I took out last year's receipt from my file: 114 TL. I got my invoice email, the difference had increased 5.26 times.

I couldn't believe it and sent an email in response to the incoming mail requesting the error be corrected. But when I also saw the social media messages from my friends who use radios on their boats, I realized that this was not an error or a joke and that there was a ruthless increase.

So what happened to cause such an increase? Pandemic? Inflation? Improvement in service quality? No, none of them, just because I did it.

So why do we use the radio? It's clearly written in the name of the institution that requests this fee from us:

COAST GUARD 

NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION 

So the radio is an indispensable equipment for sailors.

That is, without this we cannot navigate, moreover, we cannot navigate safely. Whether on a small fishing boat, sailboat, motor yacht, or cargo/passenger ship, it is the only equipment we can communicate with at sea. Therefore, having it on every vessel is indispensable and mandatory. 

    A means of communication when going out to sea and when mooring from sea to shore,

    Indispensable for maritime vessels to communicate with each other for navigation safety at sea,

    The only means to provide information in emergency situations, to rescue people from the sea,

What do you mean we won't communicate by radio, shall we communicate at sea with smoke signals?

The figure may not disturb many users, but there are users who will be greatly affected, but above all, this rate of increase is not based on any reasoning. 

There is only one thing to say: 

HAVE SOME DECENCY!