Pipeline cuts sea traffic on Bosphorus

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The Baku-Ceyhan pipeline that carries fuel from Azerbaijan to Turkey, which is operative since 2006, has led to a notable fall in tanker traffic on Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait, according to data from the city’s Directorate of Environment and Urbanization.

The number of tankers to pass through the strait, which is also densely used for civil inter-city transportation services, fell below 50,000 as of 2011, reflecting a more than 10 percent drop from 2006.

There are four marinas on and close to the Bosphorus in addition to the Tuzla dock to the south of the city, where 45 companies repair and build ships. There are also two container docks on the coasts of Istanbul.

Some 138 million tons of dangerous loads passed through the Bosphorus last year.

Every year an average of 45 sea accidents happen on the Boshporus and on the Sea of Marmara that it is connected to.