ISTANBUL, July 1. /TASS/. Turkish authorities have increased transit fees for foreign merchant vessels in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to $4.42 and the fees will be reviewed annually based on the president’s decree, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told journalists.

Since last October, the net ton fee for foreign merchant vessels has amounted to $4.08.

Sources in Turkish transport circles told TASS that the decision was not political. "The decision to hike the fees was purely technical and the Turkish authorities had said earlier that they may review them if necessary," they said, noting that the decision was announced well in advance.

According to the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey retains the right to demand lighthouse, rescue and medical fees from ships passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits.