Gemi Sicil Yönetmeliği’nin Gemi İpoteğinin Kurulmasına İlişkin Hükümlerinin Değerlendirilmesi
Murat AydınÇalışmanın temelini, 12.05.2023 tarihinde yürürlüğe giren Gemi Sicil Yönetmeliği (GSY) madde (m.) 33-35 hükümlerinde yer alan gemi ipoteğinin kurulmasına ilişkin düzenlemeler oluşturmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, çalışmada ilk olarak GSY m. 33- 35 hükümlerinin uygulama alanı belirlenmiştir. Ardından gemi ipoteğine ilişkin genel esaslar üzerinde durulmuştur. Son olarak gemi ipoteğinin kurulması kapsamında; ipotek sözleşmesinin şekli, ipotek harcı ödeme yükümlülüğü, tescil talebi ve tescil prosedürü ile birden çok gemi veya gemi payı üzerinde ipotek kurulması konuları hakkında değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır. Ayrıca Gemi Sicil Yönetmeliği dışında, 6102 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu (TTK) m. 1014 ve devamı (vd.) hükümlerinde de gemi ipoteğinin kurulmasına ilişkin düzenlemeler yer almaktadır. Ancak belirtilmelidir ki, GSY m. 33-35 hükümleri, TTK m. 1014-1053 hükümleri bakımından tamamlayıcı hüküm niteliğindedir (TTK m. 994). Bu durum, gemi ipoteğinin kurulmasına ilişkin GSY m. 33-35 hükümleri incelenirken TTK m. 1014 vd. hükümlerinin de dikkate alınmasını gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu nedenle, çalışmada, gemi ipoteğinin kurulmasına ilişkin olarak gerektiği ölçüde Türk Ticaret Kanunu’nda yer alan düzenlemeler üzerinde de durulmuştur. Öte yandan Gemi Sicil Yönetmeliği’nin gemi ipoteğinin kurulmasına ilişkin hükümleri, gemi sicil müdürlüğü uygulamaları hakkında da düzenlemeler içermektedir. Bu doğrultuda, GSY m. 33-35 hükümleri incelenirken gemi sicil müdürlüğü uygulamaları da çalışmada göz önünde bulundurulmuştur.
Evaluation of Ship Registry Regulation Provisions on Establishment of a Ship Mortgage
Murat AydınThis study is based on the provisions of Articles 33-35 of the Ship Registry Regulation (SRR) regarding the establishment of ship mortgages. Accordingly, the scope of application of Art. 33-35 of the SRR was determined in this study. Then, the general principles regarding ship mortgage are emphasised. Finally, within the scope of the establishment of a ship mortgage; the form of the mortgage agreement, the obligation to pay the mortgage fee, the registration request and registration procedure, and the establishment of mortgages on more than one ship or share are analysed. In addition, Article 1014 et seq. of Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 (TCC) contains provisions on the establishment of ship mortgages. Therefore, in this study, the provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code regarding the establishment of ship mortgages are also emphasised to the extent necessary. On the other hand, the provisions of the Ship Registry Regulation on the establishment of ship mortgages also contain regulations on the practises of the ship registry directorate. Accordingly, while analysing the provisions of Articles 33-35 of the SRR, the practises of the ship registry directorate are also examined in this study.
Art. 33-35 of the SRR contain provisions on the establishment of ship mortgages. These provisions are “supplementary provisions” with respect to the provisions of Art. One thousand and fourteen et seq. of the TCC concerning the establishment of ship mortgages. Therefore, the provisions of Articles 33-35 of the SRR apply to matters that are not regulated under Articles 1014 et seq. of the TCC. Articles’s provisions 33-35 of the SRR shall apply to ships registered in the registry. Accordingly, if a mortgage is to be established on ships registered in the National Ship Registry and ships and yachts registered in the Turkish International Ship Registry, the provisions of Art. 33-35 of the SRR shall be applied together with Art. 1014 et seq. of the TCC. A ship mortgage may be established to secure a receivable that may arise in the future or that is conditional or contingent upon a negotiable instrument. However, as stated in Art. 35/1 of the SRR, ship mortgages cannot be established for receivables that are contingent on a mortgaged promissory note or revenue bond. It is possible to establish mortgages on more than one ship or share for the same receivable. In addition, ships need not be registered in the same registry. In the event that a mortgage is established on more than one ship or ship share for the same receivable, the procedures to be performed in the ship registry are regulated under Art. 34 of the SRR.
In the case of shared ownership, each shareholder may establish a ship mortgage on his or her share. However, after a ship mortgage is established on one or more shares, the shareholders cannot establish a mortgage on the entire ship. In addition, if all shares of a ship belong to a single owner, it is not possible for the owner to establish a ship mortgage on separate shares in favour of separate persons. On the other hand, in the case of joint ownership, a ship mortgage can only be established on the whole ship with the approval of all shareholders. The contractual pledges of the ships registered in the registry are provided through ship mortgage only. Accordingly, a pledge cannot be established on an individually registered ship within the framework of the provisions of Law No. 6750 on Movable Pledge in Commercial Transactions (TITRK). However, within the scope of Article 5/2 c. 1 of the TITRK, if a movable pledge in commercial transactions is established on the entire commercial or tradesman enterprise or on a certain movable asset, the ship registered in the registry is also included in the scope of the pledge if there is a ship registered in the registry among the pledged movable assets.
In order to establish a mortgage on a ship registered in the registry, a formal mortgage agreement must be concluded, the mortgage fee must be paid, and the mortgage must be registered in the ship registry. Under Art. 33/2 c. 1 of the SRR, the mortgage agreement must be provided for in writing and the signatures must be approved by a notary public or the ship registry directorate. In addition, the mortgage agreement may be executed in the form of a notarial deed, or the signatures in the written mortgage agreement prepared by the parties may be approved by the notary public. On the other hand, to establish a mortgage on a ship registered in the registry, a sum corresponding to 11.38 per 10,000 of the amount of the receivable subject to the mortgage must be paid as a fee. The last condition to be fulfilled to establish a mortgage on a ship registered in the registry is registration of the mortgage in the registry. For this purpose, the parties to the mortgage agreement or their authorised representatives must submit a registration request to the ship registry directorate. If the registration request petition is submitted to the registry office together with its annexes, the registry office personnel shall record the information specified in Article 1016 of the TCC in GESBIS and in the section of encumbrances of the ship in the registry book kept in a physical environment. Thus, a ship mortgage is registered and established in the registry.
