Pursuant to the Turkish Commercial Code no. 6102 (TCC), for a provisional attachment order to be issued against vessels for the purpose of securing maritime claims, as a rule, the creditor is obliged to deposit security.
In accordance with Article 1363/1 of the TCC, it is mandatory to obtain security in the amount of 10,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) from the creditor requesting a provisional attachment.

However, the legislator, for the purpose of protecting seafarers, has excluded certain types of claims from this general rule and provided for the possibility of provisional attachment without security. In practice, the most common area of error is the misinterpretation of these exceptions.

Introduction and General Legal Framework 

Pursuant to the Turkish Commercial Code no. 6102 (TCC), as a rule, the creditor is obliged to deposit security for a provisional attachment order to be issued against vessels for the purpose of securing maritime claims. Pursuant to Article 1363/1 of the TCC, it is stipulated as a mandatory provision that the creditor requesting a provisional attachment order must provide security in the amount of 10,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) . However, the legislator has provided for the possibility of provisional attachment without security by excluding certain maritime claim items from this general rule.

Maritime Claim Items for which Security is Not Required 

When court decisions and TCC provisions are analyzed, the main group of claims exempted from the obligation to deposit security in a provisional attachment request is “seafarers’ claims”.

Seafarer Wages and Related Rights (TCC Article 1320/1-a): 

TTK art. 1363/3 clearly stipulates that maritime creditors listed in TTK art. 1320/1-a are exempt from the obligation to deposit security. In this context, the items for which security will not be taken are as follows:

Wages to be paid to seafarers due to their employment on board. Costs of repatriation of seafarers to their countries. Social security contributions to be paid on behalf of seafarers. All other amounts to be paid to seafarers (labor claims such as severance and notice pay, annual leave, overtime, national holiday, and public holiday wages).

In the decisions of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice 12th Civil Chamber (2019/1897-2019/1368 K) and 14th Civil Chamber (2022/2109-2022/1570 K) , it was emphasized that a precautionary attachment decision should be issued without security for the remaining wage claims and other labor rights of the seafarer, in accordance with TTK art. 1363/3. Izmir Regional Court of Justice 17th Civil Chamber (2022/1568-2022/1563 K) also confirmed that the remaining seafarer’s claim gives rise to a maritime creditor’s right and that there is no security requirement for these claims.

Claims Based on a Judgment or Document Equivalent to a Judgment: In the decision of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice 12th Civil Chamber (2025/293-2025/443 K), it was stated that, except for cases falling under Article 1320/1-a of the Turkish Commercial Code (TCC), security might not be required if the claim is based on a judgment or a document equivalent to a judgment. In cases other than this exception, providing security is mandatory.

Other Maritime Claims Requiring Security In provisional attachment requests made for the following maritime claim items, providing security in the amount of 10,000 SDR is deemed mandatory:

Losses or damages caused by the operation of the ship (TCC Art. 1352/1-a).

Expenses related to the maintenance, repair, and preservation of the ship (TCC Art. 1352/1-l, m).

Costs of fuel and materials supplied to the ship (TCC Art. 1352/1-n).

Insurance premiums (TCC Art. 1352/1-r).

Disputes concerning the ownership or possession of the ship (TCC Art. 1352/1-t).

Claims arising from a ship’s mortgage or lien (TCC Art. 1352/1-v).

Secondary Sources and Additional Context

 In decisions qualifying as secondary sources, the following additional points regarding security exemption have been specified:

Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals 14th Civil Chamber (2023/1512-2023/1397 K): It has been stated that for maritime claims other than maritime liens and claims secured by a right of pledge arising from law or contract, a security of 10,000 SDR must be absolutely deposited, and that insurance premium claims (Turkish Commercial Code Article 1352/1-r) are not covered by this exception and are subject to security.

Izmir Regional Court of Appeals 17th Civil Chamber (2022/2299-2023/145 K): It was emphasized that in disputes concerning the ownership or possession of a vessel (Turkish Commercial Code Article 1352/1-t, u), “sufficient security” must be provided for the vessel to be released to its possessor, and that an unsecured process is not applied in such disputes.

Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals 14th Civil Chamber (2022/2109-2022/1570 K: It has been stated that captains and crew members have the right to request provisional attachment without providing security, pursuant to Turkish Commercial Code Article 1363/3, for their claims arising from service contracts, and that this situation aims to protect crew members.

Conclusion The only group of maritime claims for which security is not required in the provisional attachment of a vessel consists of crew members’ wages, social security contributions, and repatriation expenses, as defined in Turkish Commercial Code Article 1320/1-a. For all other maritime claims (fuel, repair, collision, insurance, etc.), depositing a security of 10,000 SDR is a legal obligation. The case where a claim is based on a court judgment is also considered another exceptional situation for security exemption.

Gemi ihtiyati haczinde 10.000 SDR teminat her zaman zorunlu mu?

Hayır. Sadece gemi adamı alacaklarında (TTK m.1320/1-a) ve kanunda açıkça belirtilen sınırlı hallerde teminat aranmaz. Bunun dışındaki tüm deniz alacaklarında teminat zorunludur.

Yakıt, bakım veya tersane alacağı için teminatsız haciz konulabilir mi?

Hayır. Yakıt, bakım ve onarım alacakları deniz alacağıdır, ancak teminattan muaf değildir. Bu tür taleplerde 10.000 SDR yatırılmadan ihtiyati haciz kararı verilmesi hukuka aykırıdır.

Gemi adamı alacağı için 10.000 SDR teminat yatırmadan ihtiyati haciz alınabilir mi?

Evet. TTK m.1363/3, TTK m.1320/1-a kapsamındaki gemi adamı alacakları için teminat yükümlülüğünü kaldırır. Yani gemi adamının ücret alacağı, yurda dönüş (repatriation) gideri, sosyal sigorta katılma payları ve ücretle bağlantılı diğer işçilik alacakları (kıdem/ihbar, yıllık izin, fazla çalışma, UBGT vb.) bakımından teminatsız ihtiyati haciz mümkündür. Bu istisna, kanunun gemi adamlarını koruma amacının doğrudan sonucudur.

Gemi adamı alacağı kapsamında “hangi kalemler” teminatsız hacze girer? (Ücret mi, tazminatlar mı?)

Ücret ve ücretle bağlantılı tüm işçilik kalemleri bu kapsama girer. Sizin metninizde saydığınız gibi; yalnızca “çıplak maaş” değil, gemide çalıştırılma nedeniyle doğan bakiye ücret, fazla mesai, yıllık izin, ulusal bayram-genel tatil, kıdem/ihbar tazminatı, ayrıca yurda dönüş masrafları ve gemi adamı adına ödenmesi gereken SGK/prim payları teminat aranmadan ihtiyati haciz talebine konu edilebilir. Özetle: Gemi adamının hizmet akdinden doğan para alacakları teminat istisnasının ana gövdesidir.

Why is Expert Maritime Law Attorney Support Necessary?

Ship arrest (provisional attachment);

Incorrect security amount,

Incorrect determination of claim type,

Due to the wrong choice of court or enforcement office, can lead to irreversible loss of rights. Especially for shipyards, marinas, and commercial vessels in the Istanbul and Tuzla regions, the correct classification of maritime claims and the full application of the security regime are of critical importance. Therefore, these processes must be carried out by experts with experience in Istanbul maritime law and especially Tuzla maritime law. 2M Hukuk Law Office manages the process in the fastest and most secure way with its expert approach to maritime claims, ship arrest, shipyard and fuel claims, and Tuzla-based maritime disputes.