# Yacht owners be aware



## vona62 (Oct 4, 2009)

If you own a foreign flagged yacht that remains in Turkey or Turk territorial waters be aware Turkey's Custom could and will confiscate it without due notice for an infraction of any law and dispose of it by auction, laws or rulings that Customs can and do change or introduce without notification.

Something to consider, if a yacht why not your house. I suspect the case in hand may have been an opportunistic one by a local who wanted the yatch and thru the introduction of a law affecting boatyards used the local Custom to achieve his ambition.


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## belgarath (Jul 15, 2011)

And your point is ?

If you break the law in any country around the world, you will encounter similar actions. It is your responsibility to know about the laws of the country you reside in. 

If you have a specific case, please post a link.


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## vona62 (Oct 4, 2009)

belgarath said:


> And your point is ?
> 
> If you break the law in any country around the world, you will encounter similar actions. It is your responsibility to know about the laws of the country you reside in.
> 
> If you have a specific case, please post a link.


The point is....It's not about breaking laws... Turk laws are not applied country wide "all on the same page" that each region's Customs dept staff apply the rules to suit there own agenda...that they are corrupt and use they powers for their personal gain and if your not aware of that then you must have lived in a vacuum sealed bubble in Turkey.

Case of point: 2007, a French flagged newly delivered EU built yacht moored in a bay had a fuel discharge from a moored and aging gulet drift down on it. The fuel spill caused by careless crew on the gulet but the spill was photographed by Turk CG, the yacht and family arrested. Fuel samples from the spill and yacht were 'lost' the owner fined 45.000.00Euro paid so he could reposes his yacht and leave Turkey.


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## belgarath (Jul 15, 2011)

Even though there is a high percentage of corruption among public servants (no one denies that), marking everyone in such a way "they are corrupt" is simply misleading.

I believe there is more to that "yacht" story, since it is impossible to arrest people on a "fuel discharge" charge. 

Plus, if the samples from the spill were "lost", how could they be fined without a court decision, given the lack of evidence ? I suppose these Frenchmen had spilled something else besides the fuel.

There are thousands of yachts moored in Turkish waters and hundreds of thousands of foreigners owning houses and property. I am sorry but your original post simply misleads people to believe that there is no law protecting them.


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## vona62 (Oct 4, 2009)

belgarath said:


> Even though there is a high percentage of corruption among public servants (no one denies that), marking everyone in such a way "they are corrupt" is simply misleading.
> 
> I believe there is more to that "yacht" story, since it is impossible to arrest people on a "fuel discharge" charge.
> 
> ...


Your'e badly mis-informed, anyone can be arrested with their boat for a fuel spill or any pollusion of Turkeys waters, including discharge of blackwater in a harbour (but Turk gulet capt aren't) you can be fined 1000euro for washing a yacht with detergent not approved for use in marinas, harbours, etc. 

I lived in Turkey for 3 years, in Bodrum, Antalya and Tuzla and I have no illussions as to the dishonesty the prevails whenever a Turk sees an expat "opportunity".

Like the guys that sell their 'skill' levels to visiting yacht owner, take a deposit for work and dissapear or like the boatyards that continually scam the foreign buyers on materials or quality such as the 35m yacht built for one of my clients.

Following completion/sea trials the boatyard was given a list of warranty defects by me and non compliant rework reqd by the independent surveyor to attend to, the yard complied then when the $5m yacht was again launched the boatyard issued a 70.000euro invoice for work undertaken knowing it would be refused.

So they then posted a liein against the vessel to prevent it leaving, its called blackmail in any other country. The owner was forced to place the funds in bond to the court or risk having the yacht stalemate in Turkey for 2 years before courts heard the case while loosing thousands of dollars pre booked charter biz in Canaries. Thats just one of many so suggest you dont try to BS about the realities of ownership/business in Turkey.

I'll ask friends to post their personal horror stories about dealing with home builders that scammed on materials, wouldn't redo shoddy work, or those that after buying property discovered that some of the family hadn't agreed to selling so the foreigner losses his money, but its never the Turk loosing money. 

British females marrying Turks then get dumped after the wife purchase house, business, car, and Turk got a UK passport but no one told the Brit female that under Turk law she has absolutely no rights at all, so Turk gets all plus his Turk girlfriend moves in.

You were saying...


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## belgarath (Jul 15, 2011)

I was saying : there are foul and corrupt people everywhere, but you're just labeling an entire country being dishonest : "whenever a Turk sees an expat "opportunity".

If these boatyards continually scam their customers, how it comes that the boat building business is growing ? Are all these customers fools to come back to order a second boat after they get the first ? As I said, you take a few cases and make it a general rule.

Regarding the property, if you do not do your homework and find out who is the owner of a house BEFOREHAND, you might end up in the losing side. Would you buy if I tried to sell you the Big Ben, claiming that I own it ? I suppose not. If people are scammed, the legal path is open to all.

I don't know what the marriage of Brits have to do with this topic, but if someone moves to UK thru marriage and gets a UK passport, British law applies in the UK. 

If they live in Turkey, under Turkish law, there is no discrimination against women. Claiming otherwise is simply not the truth, this is not Saudi Arabia.

Having said that, there ARE indeed people aged 18 who marry Brit ladies aged 50+. Surely both parties are aware that the young one does not marry the lady for her beautiful eyes, but it is none of my business why they marry. If the lady in question expects a lifetime devotion from a lover as young as her grandson, good luck with that.


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## vona62 (Oct 4, 2009)

belgarath said:


> I was saying : there are foul and corrupt people everywhere, but you're just labeling an entire country being dishonest : "whenever a Turk sees an expat "opportunity".
> 
> If these boatyards continually scam their customers, how it comes that the boat building business is growing ? Are all these customers fools to come back to order a second boat after they get the first ? As I said, you take a few cases and make it a general rule.
> 
> ...


Turk boatyards, Icmeler, Marmaris, Antalya are not doing well as you claim, the well of income called EU has dried up, the few yards building are in Tuzla. Many yards focused on big yacht building have closed.

I suggest you do further esearch before making blanket statements. Re. property Turk law does not provide historic documentation of all family owners laying claim to a property, even lawyers cannot unravel full disclosure of claim so any purchase of land or land with established dwelling is high risk. 

You may cry unjust condemnation but the experiences of the many expats that trusted Turks only to be scammed, ripped off, betrayed and lied to cannot be denied.

I have nothing further to say on this matter.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

vona62 said:


> Turk boatyards, Icmeler, Marmaris, Antalya are not doing well as you claim, the well of income called EU has dried up, the few yards building are in Tuzla. Many yards focused on big yacht building have closed.
> 
> I suggest you do further esearch before making blanket statements. Re. property Turk law does not provide historic documentation of all family owners laying claim to a property, even lawyers cannot unravel full disclosure of claim so any purchase of land or land with established dwelling is high risk.
> 
> ...


Not satisfied with scamming foreigners in their own country the Turks also steal half of the island of Cyprus and fraudulently build houses on Greek Cypriot owned land and sell it to Brits and other foreigners who now stand to lose everything because the Greek Cypriots rightly want their land back.
And Turkey has the cheek to want to join the EU.


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## belgarath (Jul 15, 2011)

I'd say, at least they dont post nonsense in other country forums.

Joining the EU? No thanks, you can keep your precious union to yourselves, if you dont shatter it to pieces in a couple of years.

Speaking of property, what about Turkish cypriot property in the south?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

belgarath said:


> I'd say, at least they dont post nonsense in other country forums.
> 
> Joining the EU? No thanks, you can keep your precious union to yourselves, if you dont shatter it to pieces in a couple of years.
> 
> Speaking of property, what about Turkish cypriot property in the south?


Turkish Cypriot property is protected by the government, no building is allowed on it and some turkish cypriot homes are rented to displaced Greek Cypriots and the rent kept in a fund to be paid to the property owners if they ever return to reclaim their property. I know of several displaced persons who rent such properties. They spend a lot of money upgrading them, they know they will never own them and may have to leave at any time if the Turksih Cypriots owners return desp;ite the fact that they themselves have lost their homes in the North.

In some cases Turkish Cypriot land has been used to build airports etc but they were compulsory purchased in the same way as Greek Cypriot land is and the money is kept in trust to be paid to the owners.
This is toally different to what has happened in the North where the illegal Turkish government has issued fraudulent title deeds on property which is owned by Greek Cypriots.


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## istcan (Mar 3, 2012)

vona62 said:


> If you own a foreign flagged yacht that remains in Turkey or Turk territorial waters be aware Turkey's Custom could and will confiscate it without due notice for an infraction of any law and dispose of it by auction, laws or rulings that Customs can and do change or introduce without notification.
> 
> Something to consider, if a yacht why not your house. I suspect the case in hand may have been an opportunistic one by a local who wanted the yatch and thru the introduction of a law affecting boatyards used the local Custom to achieve his ambition.


Hi,

There is nothing wrong with Turkish waters, if you want to avoid bad experiences then do not go to second or third class amateur boatbuilders. Many owners choose them because they are dirt cheap but when they do so they should not expect the standards of a first class establishment. 

The Maltese Falcon was built in Turkey, there are so many proper boatyards building not just boats and yachts such as 100+ feet Oyster series and larger superyachts but advanced warships with low radar signatures. 

If you want to avoid a TCG fine then if they visit your boat show them your bilge. When they see a clean bilge, they walk away. The family mentioned appears to be very unlucky. I feel sorry for them but they should have filed a lawsuit when the sample was lost. In such cases, all around the world, the best is to contact a lawyer asap. Such a person could easily be found through an agency.

I've been sailing in Turkey for over 10 years with no problems at all.


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## istcan (Mar 3, 2012)

Veronica said:


> Not satisfied with scamming foreigners in their own country the Turks also steal half of the island of Cyprus and fraudulently build houses on Greek Cypriot owned land and sell it to Brits and other foreigners who now stand to lose everything because the Greek Cypriots rightly want their land back.
> And Turkey has the cheek to want to join the EU.


:clap2: You just won the right-on-the-topic-response award :clap2:

Why did Greek Cypriots attack Turkish Cypriots in late 60s, early 70s ? When you start killing a population and they seperate the island to try to protect themselves, they then become thieves ? Hmmm, the perfect combination of good will and smart thinking.

And in response to your unsubstantiated claim that Turks scamming foreigners, kindly wake up and see that your overlord Greece scammed the whole world with gov bonds as well as south cyprus being a major money-laundering location.

If foreigners were scammed as you claimed, Turkey would not attract an enormous amount of foreign investment. Nowadays Greeks also put their money and boats in Turkey as they are afraid of their own government and taxman. You don't do much thinking before talking, do you ?


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