The Largest Environmental Disaster In The Bosphorus: Independenta-Evriali Collision And Its Effects (November 15, 1979)

150 thousand tons of Romanian flagged “Independenta” tanker and 5,298 tons of Greek flagged “Evriali” freighter collided in the Sea of Marmara on 15 November 1979. This accident is the biggest marine accident in the region. As a result of the accident, while Greek sailors survived, nearly 50 Romanian sailors died by drowning or burning. As a result of the explosion, the windows of many buildings were broken, the Independenta tanker continued to burn for 29 days after the collision, and the people of Istanbul were terrified in this process. The accident caused a lot of financial damage to the fishing industry, leaving irreversible effects in the long term, such as environmental pollution. The Independenta accident is the most "tragic" and "destructive" marine accident in the Turkish Straits, but has increased public awareness of the risks that ships passing through the Straits may pose and initiated discussions to take the necessary measures to prevent accidents in the Straits. Even though the accident was thought to have been overcome, the comments were made in that period, "Istanbul has not experienced such terror, such fear, panic like this." Independenta accident, the most obvious and most dangerous example of the accidents caused by the Bosphorus traffic, threatening the city of Istanbul in such a way, opened the articles of the Montreux Straits Convention- especially, discussion to leave the option of getting a guide when passing through the Bosphorus- to prevent the protection of the city and similar events in that period. Bringing into the Montreux Agreement question was considered unnecessary and dangerous for some, while the other party argued that it was inevitable.

Keywords

History of the Rebuplic of Turkey, Independenta, Evriali, The Republic of Turkey, Montreux Straits Convention, Bosphorus.