Chartering a boat in Türkiye: licence, rules and safety

Licence and charter rules

Licence: Under Türkiye's 2026 regulation on private boats, foreign nationals in Türkiye may use their own private boats, delegated boats and bareboat-chartered boats within the limits of a boating certificate issued by another country. Harbour masters may have doubtful foreign certificates checked with the issuing authority before allowing them to be used.

Charter: Private boats certified under tourism rules and chartered bareboat for leisure may be skippered by the charterer if they hold an amateur sailor certificate (ADB), within the boat-length limit of that certificate.

Arriving by boat

Foreign yachts may enter or leave Türkiye only at designated frontier ports, for example Istanbul, Çanakkale, Ayvalık, İzmir, Çeşme, Kuşadası, Didim, Güllük, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kaş, Finike, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya. Customs, passport and health details are recorded in a Transit Log, which is checked at each port until you leave Türkiye. Customs also records the yacht in the owner's or captain's passport.

Season and weather

Forecast: The Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) publishes marine forecasts, including a 3-day forecast, on its Piri Reis marine pages (pirireis.mgm.gov.tr).

Rules on the water

Bodrum: Safe-speed limits apply in busy spots around the Bodrum peninsula, including Türkbükü, Gölköy, Cennet Koyu, Gündoğan, the Bodrum harbour entrance, Kumbahçe, Adaboğazı, Pabuç Koyu, Orak Island, Yalıkavak, Küdür and Torba. Speeding is fined under the Ports Law.

Bodrum: At Türkbükü, the speed limit is 6 knots between Büyükada and Küçükada and the Türkbükü shore.

Bodrum: A new Blue Card (Mavi Kart) tracking system for boat waste, set by the Ministry of Environment, has applied since 16 August 2026. The harbour master asks boaters to follow it.

Göcek / Fethiye: In Göcek inner harbour (the bay north of an east–west line from the northern tip of Göcek Island) the speed limit is 10 knots. In the inner harbour and the other bays, all boats must go slowly enough not to disturb or damage other vessels.

Göcek / Fethiye: Anchor only in the designated anchorage areas; anchoring elsewhere needs the harbour master's permission. Skippers must keep track of changes, such as temporary anchorage areas.

Göcek / Fethiye: Outside anchorage areas and licensed facilities, a boat may stay in the same bay for at most 15 days, based on its sewage holding-tank capacity.

Göcek / Fethiye: Jet skis and towed water sports (ringo, banana, parasailing) are banned in Göcek inner harbour. Boats may not enter buoyed swimming areas off beaches and hotels.

Göcek / Fethiye: Parts of Göcek Bay, inside the Fethiye–Göcek Special Environmental Protection Area, are closed to anchoring to protect a seagrass (Posidonia) transplantation project. The harbour master publishes the areas as a KMZ file.

Hazards and warnings

Black Sea coast: since 2022 there has been military activity in the Black Sea because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The risk to boats is higher, particularly in waters close to Russia and Ukraine.

Bodrum: Bodrum harbour is crowded: cruise ships, ferries to the Greek islands, day-trip boats, private motor boats and sailing yachts all use it. Passenger ships and fast ferries slow to 10 knots from the Cavurali shoal buoy and 6 knots from Değirmen Burnu.

Charter bases in Türkiye