The Registration of Ships: An Evaluation in the context of Genuine Link and Flag of Convenience Practices

Today, the most preferred route for international trade is by seaway. In this respect, defining the nationality of ships and registering them with the state are important in terms of international trade and especially maritime law. In this article, it is analysed the registration of ships by discussing the role of the genuine link between a ship and the state that registered it, and examining the flag of convenience practice.
In the study, after discussing the flag state jurisdiction, it is going to be discussed how the concept of genuine link can be understood in the context of international maritime law: When does a genuine link form between a ship and the state? Is it an obligation to have a genuine link between the ship and the state involved in the registration of ships? If so, are there any sanctions against a ship not flying a flag under a genuine link? In addition, the flag of convenience system, which is a relatively new practice, and is contrary to the genuine link system, is going to be discussed: How has the legal nature of the registration of ships changed as a result of that it could not be prevented the adoption and practising of the flag of convenience system in the international area more than the genuine link? What are the positive and negative aspects of this practice? Thus, in this study, it is going to be tried to answer the abovementioned questions by referring to legal authorities, case law and international regulations.