Ziya Karagöz, Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Association of Yacht Captains and Employees (TYKÇD), has expressed appreciation to the organizers of the Blue Economy Summit held in Trabzon from March 27 to 30.

In a statement of gratitude, Karagöz highlighted the importance of the event while also drawing attention to challenges facing the Black Sea’s maritime sector, The Caspian Post reports.

He noted that discussions at the summit revealed the limited contribution of the region’s maritime economy to the national economy.

Karagöz pointed out that, despite the Black Sea spanning 918 nautical miles along Türkiye’s coast, there are currently no marinas in the region, compared to around 30 in other Black Sea countries. He also emphasized the lack of visible marine sports activities and the near absence of sailing in the area.

The statement further underlined the urgent need to rehabilitate fishing shelters and develop infrastructure, including facilities for yacht maintenance and repair. At the same time, Karagöz noted that other Black Sea nations are actively investing in new marine tourism projects.

Despite these shortcomings, he expressed optimism, highlighting the commitment of a small but determined group working to revive Black Sea yacht tourism. Karagöz affirmed that TYKÇD is ready to contribute to these efforts and expects Turkish yacht routes to increasingly shift toward the Black Sea in the coming years.

He also praised the summit organizers for bringing together key stakeholders despite regional challenges, expressing hope that the Blue Economy Summit will continue to grow and contribute to the country’s development.