IALA would like to welcome you to the 12th IALA International Symposium on Vessel Traffic Services, between 10 -14 September 2012.  The Symposium will take place in the city of Istanbul, which is situated on the important waterway connecting the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, and is being held in conjunction with the Directorate General of Coastal Safety of Turkey.

The theme of the VTS Symposium is ‘Beyond the limits’, which means that an interesting and contemporary programme awaits you.

The 2012 Symposium will be a forum where delegates can discuss current challenges and opportunities both in VTS and Domain Awareness.  Planned themes for the Symposium are VTS from a global perspective, focusing on areas such as recent technological advancement, professional competencies, e-Navigation, legal aspects and VTS in the Arctic region – all contemporary and global themes.  The ability to exchange views with world-class experts in the field of VTS and associated topics, both inside and outside the technical sessions, is an opportunity not to be missed.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Gary PROSSER
Secretary General, IALA

First of all, I would like to share our excitement and pleasure as we do the honors to the 12th International VTS Sympoisum. The city of Istanbul, where the symposium is to be held, not only has hundreds of years of culture and history but also has a great importance in the maritime world with its crucial ports and unique Istanbul Strait as a part of Turkish Straits.

The area called as Taksim which the symposium is to be held is considered as the centre of Istanbul and it hosts many cultural and artistic activities in Istanbul chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2010.

The point that gives an extra importance technically to the Sympoisum is coinciding the same period that the trends change rapidly and global concepts like e-navigation and VTM have been developing. That point has reflected to the theme of Sympoisum as the "beyond the limits". I strongly believe that this Symposium will offer and insight into some developments related to VTS's and also bring very useful initiatives.

As Directorate General of Coastal Safety and myself will be very glad to host you all in Istanbul for the 12th International VTS Symposium that will be very successful not only in terms of technically but in all aspects as well.

Yours sincerely,

Salih ORAKCI
Director General of Coastal Safety