Inspection in Mersin halts loading of Akgünler’s Ro-Ro Marin vessel

At the port of Mersin, port state control inspectors inspected the Ro-Ro Marin vessel operated by Akgünler Denizcilik, which runs maritime routes between Turkey and Northern Cyprus, and prohibited it from taking on new cargo until the identified deficiencies are rectified.

This was a Port State Control (PSC) procedure — an inspection by the authorities of the port where a vessel has called to verify its compliance with international safety requirements. The commission that boarded the vessel inspected life-saving equipment responsible for the safety of people and navigation, fire-fighting and emergency response systems, the vessel’s structural and technical condition, as well as the crew’s documents.

Deficiencies in all these areas were recorded in the report. The vessel will not be able to load new cargo: first, it must undergo a repeat PSC inspection and receive confirmation of compliance.

By the time the inspectors arrived, the vessel had already completed its cargo operations: it came to Mersin with car-carrying semi-trailers and unloaded them.

Ro-Ro services play an important role in maritime transport between Northern Cyprus and Turkey, so the vessel’s operational condition is being closely monitored.