Boat Operators Protest Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the Bosphorus
A group of boat operators in Istanbul protested the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Transportation Coordination Directorate (UKOME) by creating a convoy on the Bosphorus to demand the cancellation of desired plates. The operators, representing companies engaged in passenger transport at sea, sailed from the Golden Horn to the Bosphorus with their boats to express their dissatisfaction with IMM.
Displaying banners with messages such as “Golden Horn tradesman demands plate cancellation”, “Golden Horn trades are not for occupation, they are for livelihood”, and “IMM’s wrong decision must be reversed”, the operators made their voices heard during the protest.
Onur Hüsrevoğlu, President of EMBAKTUR Tur Yolcu and Tourism Marine Motor Carriers Cooperative, explained that 5 cooperatives in the Golden Horn region were joining forces to oppose IMM’s decision regarding the cancellation of boat plates. Hüsrevoğlu mentioned that UKOME had been considering the cancellation of the plates, but a recent meeting on the matter was canceled due to other issues on the agenda.
There are a total of 205 plates that could be canceled, affecting the employment of approximately 5,000 individuals working on these boats. Hüsrevoğlu emphasized that the plates ranged in size from 18 meters to 42 meters, and IMM’s draft proposal for cancellation was made without consulting the affected tradesmen.
The boat operators are determined to fight for their rights and ensure that their voices are heard in the decision-making process. The protest on the Bosphorus serves as a clear message to IMM that the operators are united in their opposition to the cancellation of the plates.
