Türkiye is preparing to launch a comprehensive environmental project to protect the Bosporus in the Aegean Sea from the harmful emissions released by the ships passing through the strait. The project, which is planned to be kicked off this month in cooperation with Istanbul University and the South Korean National Research Foundation (NRF), is set to last for two years.

The project, called "the Air Emission Inventory Analysis from Ships Passing the Bosporus," is also supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK).

Within the scope of the first plan, some sensors will be established at different points in the Bosporus to detect and calculate the emissions.

Cem Gazioğlu, a project coordinator and professor at Istanbul University’s Institute of Marine Sciences and Management Department, highlighted that "the project will reinforce Türkiye's dominance over the straits," including the Bosporus which "welcome an average of 40,000 ships every year."

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Gazioğlu pointed out that "Türkiye needs to demonstrate its dominance over the straits in terms of the environment, and it is possible to achieve this through the research projects."

Giving details about the project, the professor said that, "The sensors to be placed at certain points will help calculate the emissions originating from the ships."

"We have already developed a calculation method, but that method cannot be applied to the main engine of the ship passing through the strait but rather to count the emissions after it already passed from there," he said.

The professor continued, "They aim to conduct more refined results, and the measurements will start from three points in the Bosporus first; however, they eventually plan to increase the number of these spots."

The system the professor spoke of originates from South Korea. It works in places with no urbanization, and it was developed with ships in natural water passages.

According to Gazioğlu, hosting over 15 million people in Istanbul can provide an obstacle to distinguishing the emission sources. He thinks that the city's car traffic intensity can undermine properly examining the level of the emissions only released by the Bosporus ships.

The professor also noted that the maritime industry has to endure the consequences of the global climate crisis and emphasized that the old production techniques in the industry will be abandoned over time. That means, he said, ships are likely to use different fuels.

Gazioğlu added that a transformation is expected on electric motors in short-haul transportation, saying it is necessary to switch to different types of fuel ship use over time.

"It is not easy for an electric ship to sail for months. It is necessary to switch to different types of fuel; accordingly ship machinery needs to be produced. Existing ships have to do this," he said and added that: "Therefore, a target will be set in the shipping industry, and ships will be asked to be transformed over time."

Gazioğlu underlined, "The work that has so far been done is designed to have these types of ships that can pass through the Bosporus ... Then we will be able to clear our straits of old ships that pose a risk, and we will have a parameter for the coming years."