Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1. INTERNATIONAL ORDU SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Ordu, Türkiye, 13 - 14 Nisan 2026, ss.81-95, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Maritime accidents have historically been one of the primary causes of socio-economic losses
and irreversible ecological damage in global maritime trade. Today, in parallel with increasing
traffic density, they have evolved into a multidimensional and complex safety issue that must
be managed in highly geostrategic waterways such as the Turkish Search and Rescue Region
(SRR). This study statistically analyzes maritime accidents that occurred within the boundaries
of the Turkish SRR between 2001 and 2019 in terms of periodic trends, seasonal differences,
operational factors (the tonnage-time relationship), and flag state performance variables. Thus,
the study aims to establish a scientific foundation to enhance safety in highly geostrategic
Turkish waters by integrating local accident data with universal maritime safety parameters
(e.g., watchkeeping fatigue, flag state performance). The research dataset was compiled from
the official records of the Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Republic ofTürkiye Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and was subjected to linear regression, One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson Chi-Square tests using SPSS 26.0 software. The analysis results
indicate that there is no systematic decrease in accident frequency over the years and that
accident dynamics exhibit a stochastic (random) distribution. In the seasonal cycle, the Autumn
and Winter periods constitute the highest risk cluster due to meteorological conditions. One of the most original findings of the study is that accidents occurring in the morning hours (06:00–11:59) involve vessels of statistically significantly higher tonnage compared to other time
segments of the day. Furthermore, it was determined that the accident rates of vessels with risky
registries under the “Flag of Convenience” status far exceed theoretically expected values, and
the accident distribution exhibits an asymmetrical structure according to flag states. The
findings emphasize that maritime safety strategies must be strengthened through proactive risk
management specifically covering high-risk seasons and timeframes, along with
uncompromising Port State Control (PSC) mechanisms targeting risky flags. The results of the
study offer an evidence-based, strategic guide for national maritime administrations and
policymakers.