Turkey to build new container port in 2022

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkey will build a new transit cargo-oriented main container port in 2022, Yeni Shafak newspaper reported on October 28.

The new port, which will provide access to the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and Central Asia regions, has huge strategic importance for the Maritime Silk Road, the report added.

The implementation of the project will be carried out by Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry along with the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry under the presidential program for 2022.

The site determination for the project will be made in the Eastern Mediterranean region and survey-project studies will be completed in 2022.

The transit cargo-oriented main container port will also have great importance for China’s Middle Corridor project, which covers 68 countries along the Maritime Silk Road.

Since 80 percent of the world’s 20-trillion-dollar annual trade volume is carried out by sea, the Eastern Mediterranean region is one of the most important junction points with its 12 billion tons of cargo volume.

For their geographical locations, the Eastern Mediterranean ports will offer a great advantage in terms of shortening the transit time.

The current 35-day transit time from China to the West African coasts through the Suez Canal or Cape of Good Hope will be halved with the integration of Turkey’s Mersin or Iskenderun transit railway and seaways to the route.

Subsequently, the container-based logistics industry is expected to grow by 3.5 percent each year until 2024 and reach 951 million TEU per year.