Geographic Location

• Coordinates: 41°01'N, 029°00'E

• Northwestern Turkey is divided by a complex waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea. The channel passing between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara is called the Bosporus (Istanbul Bogazi). Istanbul is positioned at the south end of the Bosporus. The Sea of Marmara is connected to the Aegean Sea by a channel called the Dardanelles (Canakkale Bogazi).

• Waterways divide Istanbul into 3 sections. The Bosporus Strait separates Asia from Europe. The Golden Horn (Haliç), a waterway extending NW near the S end of Bosporus, separates the modern, commercial districts to the north from the old city to the south.

• According to the 1938 Montreaux agreement:
  • (1) Aircraft carriers or other Naval ships greater than 20,000 tons cannot pass through the Bosporus Strait into the Black Sea. Carriers can visit Istanbul.
  • (2)Naval vessels cannot pass through the Dardenelles or Bosporus at night. Most ships either make the entire passage in one long daylight period or await the night period in the Sea of Marmara.

• To date, U.S. Navy ships use one of three anchorage areas. There is consideration for future use of berthing at the cruise terminal pier. The anchorage locations are:
  • (1) The west side of the Bosporus Channel adjacent to Dolmabahçe Palace (point C), approximately 2-1/2 nmi north of the southern entrance to the Bosporus. Good holding on a mud bottom is reported in depths of 82 to 115 ft. There are nine anchorage positions and two mooring buoys.
  • (2) Good anchorage for large vessels is also available at Moda (point B), on the Asian side south of Haydarpasa.
  • (3) The preferred anchorage for aircraft carriers is located on the Sea of Marmara just south of Istanbul (just west of point A). Holding is good on a mud bottom in depths of 82 to 95 ft.

• Local authorities state that the fleet landing is located just south of Dolmabahçe Palace on the west side of the Bosporus. It is common practice for U.S. Navy ships to rent water taxis to use for personnel and supply runs to/from ships in the anchorages. Run time from the aircraft carrier anchorage to the fleet landing is about 45 minutes, but the return trip takes only about 25 minutes. The difference is due to the strong southwesterly setting current.

• Another landing, called Admiralty Landing, is located just east of the Galata Bridge on the north side of the Golden Horn. It is not a designated fleet landing, and is available for use only in severe weather conditions that would make landing at the designated fleet landing unsafe.

• The southern approach to the Bosporus is approximately 990 yd wide. All maritime traffic must stay to the starboard side of the channel. Charted depths in the channel vary between 11 to over 27 fathoms between the pilot pick-up point and the anchorage adjacent to Dolmabahçe Palace. Pilotage is not compulsory but is highly recommended entering the Bosporus. They can be picked up either at the Black Sea entrance for southbound entry, or south of the entrance to Istanbul for northbound entry. Recent experience with a U.S. Navy ship indicated pilot did not have control of tugs and ultimately tug commands had to come from conning officer with the pilot providing translation.

• Two bridges cross the Bosporus:
  • One approximately 3.5 nm north of the southern entrance to the channel between Beylerbeyi on the Asian side and Ortakoy on the European side. The bridge has a vertical clearance of 210 ft over the central 1,312 ft of its total span of 3,524 ft.
  • A second bridge 6.0 nm north has a vertical clearance of 64 m (200 ft).

• The latest Turkish navigational charts can be purchased online at the Turkish Navy Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography.

• Although other facilities are located on both sides of the Bosporus and in the Golden Horn (inner harbor), a large part of the Port of Istanbul is located on the Asian side of the Bosporus at Haydarpasa. Haydarpasa's quays total 6,522 ft in length. The port is protected by two breakwaters with an overall length of 5,607 ft. Up to six medium sized vessels may be accommodated simultaneously, and cargo operations may be made direct to and from wharves or railway trucks. Depth alongside quays varies from 19.7 to 32.8 ft. Other berthing facilities at Istanbul, located on the European side of the Bosporus, include cruise terminal piers about 1/2 nmi northeast of the Galata Bridge, a coal handling facility, and a cargo terminal.

• There are five dry docks at the port. Mechanical handling facilities at the cargo terminal include six floating cranes with 10 to 60 ton capacities, two 5-ton and eight 3-ton electric cranes, 12 5-ton and three 3-ton mobile cranes, as well as several forklifts, and other, smaller freight handling equipments. Tug boats of 110 to 2,500 hp are available at the port.