The authorities and responsibilities of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs are as follows:
a) It is ensured that maritime and inland waterways transportation activities are carried out in a liberal, equitable, and sustainable competitive environment in a way that will prevent negative effects on the environment and protect the public interest, subjects to commercial, economic, social needs, and technical developments, and these activities are taken into account that they serve together with other modes of transport and complement each other,
b) The rights, obligations, and responsibilities of service providers and beneficiaries of services in the field of maritime and inland waterways transportation are determined,
c) The service principles, financial competence, and professional reputation requirements of ship operators, organizers, ship agencies, commission agents, and similar activities in the field of Maritime and Inland Water Transportation are determined, authorized, and supervised, as well as those working in these jobs and seafarers are identified in terms of the professional qualification requirements. Except for that, relevant training is given, examinations are held, and it is authorized and supervised,
ç) The procedures and principles regarding keeping the registry of seafarers are determined and the registry of them is kept,
d) The procedures and principles regarding the registration and/or enrolment of all sorts of ships and inland marine vehicle are indicated, their registration and/or enrolment is made; the procedures and principles regarding the purchasing, selling, and renting are defined,
e) Regardless of the purpose of operation, all kinds of ships, sea and inland water vehicles; minimum qualifications in terms of type, capacity, ownership, age and similar, and their periodic technical inspections, procedures and principles regarding permits, and minimum safety limits and conditions for their use are determined. It is audited, documented, or provided to be audited and documented, and the minimum qualifications of the persons who will issue the documents are determined and they are authorized and audited,
f) Necessary technical infrastructure is established, operated, notification services are provided, inspected and the procedures and principles regarding to this service are determined for all types of communication and notification services, including warning signals, between ships and other marine vehicles in national and international waters, among themselves or with land facilities,
g) The procedures and principles regarding the pilotage and tugboat services to be given to the ships that will berth and leave the ports, terminals, dolphins, buoys and similar coastal structures operating in the maritime jurisdiction areas, waterways, and inland waters of Turkey and the ships that will use the Turkish Straits are determined, these services are provided or the ones who can provide them are authorized and supervised,
ğ) Procedures and principles regarding rescue, salvage, and emergency response activities related to incidents involving all types of ships, marine and inland vehicles that occur in Turkey's maritime jurisdiction areas, Turkish Straits region, waterways, and inland waterways are determined, and these services are supplied or ones those who can provide these services are authorized and supervised,
h) To prevent sea and air pollution originating from all kinds of the ship and inland marine vehicle navigating or operating in Turkish territorial waters and inland waters, measurements are taken and the necessary monitoring and inspections are conducted. Procedures and principles for emergency response readiness and preparation are determined, and persons who will provide emergency response services are authorized and inspected,
ı) The procedures and principles regarding all kinds of amateur maritime activities are determined, the persons who will carry out these activities are authorized and inspected,
i)The due of ports, piers, and coastal structures and the minimum and maximum due is determined, if required, as to transportation activities and supervised their implementation; limited to flourish maritime and inland waterways transportation and to provide a liberal, equitable, fair, and sustainable competitive environment,
j) Administrative jurisdiction areas of harbormasters are determined. Permissions for maritime activities to be carried out by governmental administrations and institutions and real and legal entities operating in these areas are given, coordinated, inspected and unauthorized activities are stopped,
k) The procedures and principles regarding the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) are determined in Turkish flagged ships and port facilities located in the administrative jurisdiction area of the harbormasters, and real persons are authorized, inspected, and the implementation system including coordination and cooperation between the implementers of this code is carried out,
l) The procedures and principles of scheduled maritime transport are determined, and those engaged in scheduled maritime transport are authorized and inspected,
m) Efforts are made and measures are taken to prevent piracy, maritime piracy, and all kinds of similar crimes and activities that adversely affect maritime transport and global trade. In the event of such a case, the relevant organizations are coordinated and the necessary support is provided,
n) Request for Turkish Flag and foreign flag bareboat charter registration are evaluated and the permit is determined by a ship to temporarily fly and operate under the supervision of Turkish Flag and foreign flag.
o) Studies are conducted to determine the policies, strategies, targets, and practices regarding national maritime and maritime trade, as well as the procedures and principles regarding surveillance services. Required measures are taken to build up and renew the Turkish merchant marine and tourism vessel fleet, to enhance its market share, and to increase its international competitiveness, the statistics on the world's maritime and inland waterways transportation and the world’s merchant vessel fleet are followed and the developing trends are monitored and reported,
ö) Measures are taken for the development and effective functioning of the marine insurance, necessary coordination is ensured with the relevant institutions and organizations,
p) Missions and procedures are carried out for the implementation and control of the exemptions and exceptions granted in the relevant legislation for all types of ship and inland marine vehicle,
r) Cooperation is made with national and foreign classification societies. In the case of requirement, they are authorized and supervised,
s) Maritime and inland waterways transportation services, maritime law, and international relations required by merchant marine are carried out, agreements and joint commission studies are considered,
ş) Maritime activities specified in this article are regulated in international norms and standards, and the principles that will ensure their sustainability and development are determined, to ensure necessary arrangements for the current implementation of the rules and standards accepted by the international organizations of which we are a member, and put into practice, are made,
t) Other duties assigned by the Minister are performed.