Istanbul and Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions Chamber of Shipping, briefly called the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (TCS), is an important professional organization of the Turkish maritime sector, with its headquarters in Istanbul and main branch offices in Izmir, Bodrum, Marmaris, Antalya, İskenderun, Fethiye, Karadeniz Ereğlisi and Kocaeli. It has a Liaison Bureau in Ankara and also representations at all the coastal towns and cities in Turkey. Turkish Chamber of Shipping was first established as Istanbul Chamber of Shipping in 1982 by a group of Turkish shipowners led by Mr. Ziya Kalkavan, the reputed Turkish shipowner and afterwards its area of activities has been extended gradually so as to cover the region of the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea coast and the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, then finally the Black Sea coast of the country. The most important aim of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping is to try to develop shipping in accordance with the national transportation and shipping policy and the public interest. Moreover, to promote the interests and provide the common requirements of its members, to arrange the development of the profession, to guide and facilitate the professional activities, to establish common rules and to inform the authorities on shipping matters and to keep the discipline, morals and solidarity of the shipping profession are the other major concerns of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping. The major activities of TCS are to establish rules and practices as regards shipping, to make researches and collect information on shipping, to ensure that sea trade is developing in accordance with the national policy of transportation, to supply information to foreign organizations on the possibilities and tariffs of the Turkish ports, to become member of and to follow activities of the international organizations concerned with shipping and to perform other functions stated in the law.