Adil Karaismailoğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, announced that despite the container crisis in the world, in 2021 the number of handled containers in ports of Turkey increased by 8.3 percent to 12 million 591 thousand TEU.
Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu evaluated the container and cargo data for 2021. Reminding that there was a container crisis for many reasons during the global epidemic process, Karaismailoğlu pointed out that despite this crisis in the world, Turkey was not affected by the investments made in the blue homeland. Karaismailoğlu said, “The number of handled containers at our ports in 2021 increased by 8.3 percent compared to the previous year and amounted to 12 million 591 thousand 470 TEU.” and continued his statement as follows:
“When we look at the figures for December, the number of handled containers at our ports increased by 2.5 percent compared to the same month of the previous year and reached 1 million 80 thousand 241 TEU. Most container handling took place in the administrative borders of Ambarlı Port Authority. A total of 253,725 TEU containers were handled at the port facilities operating within the administrative borders of Ambarlı Port Authority. Mersin Port Authority with 167 thousand 927 TEU and Kocaeli Port Authority with 167 thousand 317 TEU followed Ambarlı Port Authority. The highest number of container handlings took place in transports with Israel. Transports with Greece and Egypt followed Israel. Containers destined for Spain with 42 thousand 42 TEU accounted for the highest number of export-purpose container transports by sea.”
Emphasizing that the amount of handled cargo at ports reached 526 million 306 thousand tons with an increase of 6 percent in 2021, Karaismailoğlu stated that the total amount of handled cargo in sea transportation for foreign trade purposes increased by 5.7 and reached 386 million 396 thousand 718 tons. Underlining that MIP Mersin Port is the Port Facility with 33 million 46 thousand 940 tons of handled cargo the most in 2021, Karaismailoğlu noted that 6.28 percent of the total handled cargo in Turkey is handled at Mersin Port. Noting that the amount of handled cargo in the ports increased by 8 percent compared to the same month of the previous year and reached 47 million 857 thousand tons in December, Minister of Transport, Karaismailoğlu stated that the highest amount of cargo-handling was carried out in Aliağa Port Authority, followed by Kocaeli and İskenderun Port Authorities.
The most exported country was Italy
Referring to the types of cargo handled, Karaismailoğlu said, “In the last month of 2021, 8 million 3 thousand 144 tons of crude oil were handled in our ports. Crude Oil, with an increase of 866 thousand tons, became the type of cargo with the highest increase in handling compared to the previous month. Crude oil was followed by coke and semi-coke and diesel cargo types. Clinker was the most exported cargo type by seaway. The most exported country was Italy. In terms of imports, Russia took the first place.”
Our investments are continuing to Blue Homeland
“We called our seas the Blue Homeland” said Minister of Transport, Karaismailoğlu, “We are highlighting our country’s ‘Marine Country’ identity. We increased the number of ports from 149 in 2002 to 217, and the number of shipyards to 84 from 37. Our annual ship production capacity in our shipyards increased from 550 thousand deadweight tons to 4.65 million deadweight tons and our locality rate reached 60 percent.”
