Ferry services between Çeşme and Chios suspended

The Turkish companies Turyol and Ertürk, along with Greek companies Sunrise and Tilos, announced the cancellation of their reciprocal ferry services on these dates, stating on their websites that "Sales and reservations have been canceled due to the strike."

In a statement to the press, Kadir İnandı, the International Operations Manager of Turyol, explained that Greece had increased the International Port Security Service fee from €0.50 to €5 per person on June 10, 2024. He claimed that local municipalities were authorized to collect this fee and noted that municipalities on islands like Lesbos, Samos, and Meis had not demanded this payment for the summer season. İnandı added that during discussions with the Chios Municipality, they had been assured that tickets issued before June 10 would be exempt from this charge and that efforts would be made to postpone the implementation until the end of the season.

He further stated that, based on guidance from municipal officials, they had submitted all tickets issued before June 10 but faced significant financial issues as the season ended. Consequently, the ferry companies Turyol, Ertürk, Sunrise, and Tilos collectively decided to suspend operations on October 12-13, 2024.

€750,000 Payment Demanded

In total, the four companies operating between the two shores are facing a demand for €750,000 in payments, which İnandı described as unacceptable. He warned that if this demand was not rescinded, they would consider expanding their strike actions.

Nezihe Ertürk from Ertürk emphasized that ticket sales had commenced before the season and that numerous tickets had already been sold before the increase in the security service fee. She noted that the demand for retrospective payments had resulted in significant difficulties for the companies.