Europe, the Middle East, and Turkic Republics serve as a bridge within the logistics sector, and Turkey, which develops and strengthens every year in this field, is also fighting directly with the competitive conditions in the sector as a natural consequence of this situation. The current state of Turkish ports and ports in Turkey is also directly affected by this competitive environment. This competition is not only among domestic companies operating in Turkey but also causes fierce competition between domestic and foreign companies.
In recent years, Turkish ports, which mostly dominated road and sea transportation (logistics ports), have also made a remarkable breakthrough with combined transportation involving land, air, sea, and rail, starting in the 1980s. The infrastructure developed in the 1990s has become a widely accepted transportation method worldwide in the 2000s. With these quality standards and broad service varieties, Turkish logistics ports, which have established foreign communication offices and actively operate in other countries since the early 2000s, have played an effective role in announcing Turkey’s logistics sector potential to the world. Both Turkey’s ports and logistics ports and ports within Turkey seem to continue this development in the coming years.
The Role of Turkish Ports in the Logistics Sector
The fact that Turkey is a peninsula surrounded by seas has a significant contribution to the development and prominence of ports in Turkey. Additionally, Turkey’s long coastline is a feature that puts Turkey a step ahead regarding logistics ports. The impact of Turkish ports on sea transportation is an accepted fact by everyone. The factor that makes Turkish ports stand out in this field compared to other countries is their rich number of ports.
Turkish ports are highly effective and globally respected in terms of both transaction volume and quantity. The continuous increase in global trade volume causes the influence of logistics ports to grow increasingly. The large number of logistics ports that serve as connectors between sea and land transportation not only enhances mutual trade relations but also makes a significant positive contribution to Turkey’s competitive power in international trade. Moreover, Turkish ports serve as a bridge point between continents.
Turkey’s geographical location can also be considered an advantage. For this reason, the position of Turkish ports in terms of logistics ports is quite prestigious. All these positive aspects greatly contribute to Turkey’s development of trade dialogues with other countries. Since a large part of Turkey’s imports and exports are carried out through these ports, the impact of ports in Turkey on foreign trade is quite significant.
Ports in Turkey
Ambarlı Port
Ambarlı Logistics Port is of great importance for our country. Ambarlı Port holds a very important position among Turkey’s ports. When it comes to ports in Turkey, it is at the forefront. Ambarlı Logistics Port is Turkey’s largest port. It is located in Istanbul. As Turkey’s largest port, Ambarlı Logistics Port stands out significantly in maritime transportation. The size and development of logistics ports are very important for ensuring the loading is done in the healthiest way possible. Ambarlı Port, being large and well-equipped, allows for easy loading and unloading.
Thanks to natural gas, Ambarlı Port is developing more and more each day. Among the ports in Turkey, Ambarlı Port is one of the most important points and is among the leading ports where the most reliable loading is performed. Ambarlı Port rightly bears the title of Turkey’s largest port in terms of volume, transactions, and other aspects.
Antalya Port
If we talk about ports in Turkey, we cannot skip Antalya Port. Antalya Port, being quite large, facilitates operations easily. The development of Antalya Port is largely influenced by the growth of the tourism sector. In recent years, Antalya Port has been operating more as a yacht and marina port. Antalya Port, which has no intersection points with railways, is quite popular among ports in Turkey.
Bandırma Port
Bandırma Port is one of the important ports located on the Marmara Sea coast of Turkey. Throughout history, Bandırma has been famous for its strategic location and natural beauty, and it also holds great importance with its port. Bandırma Port attracts attention with its modern infrastructure and wide capacity. It is suitable for sea transportation as well as Ro-Ro and container transportation. The depth of the port allows large ships to dock easily. Additionally, there are storage areas and logistics centers around the port.
İskenderun Port
İskenderun Port is one of Turkey’s most important ports opening to the Mediterranean. Located in İskenderun district of Hatay province, this port is strategically positioned as a connection point between the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The port increases Turkey’s foreign trade volume and supports economic development thanks to its presence at the center of international maritime trade.
İskenderun Port stands out with its extensive infrastructure and modern facilities. The port, constantly updated with investments, has many service units such as container terminals, quays, storage areas, and logistics centers. This allows İskenderun Port to handle many different types of cargo.
The port’s large capacity is a significant advantage for meeting Turkey’s export and import volume. Modern equipment and technological infrastructure ensure high efficiency and fast transactions. İskenderun Port is also known for its deep waters, allowing large ships to anchor. With these features, the port enables large-scale commercial operations.
İstanbul Port
Among the ports in our country, Istanbul Port is one of the most influential. Since Istanbul is both a domestic and an international hub city, Istanbul Port differs from other Turkish ports in terms of its features. Many people also believe that Istanbul Port is Turkey’s largest port. However, this is not correct. Turkey’s largest port is Ambarlı Port in Istanbul. The most prominent feature of Istanbul Logistics Port is its much higher trade volume compared to other Turkish ports. Since Istanbul is considered one of the most important cities in our country, a lot of diverse trade is carried out thanks to Istanbul Port.
İzmir Port
The hinterland of İzmir Port is quite large. Therefore, İzmir Port is also located at a very important point among export ports. Unlike other Turkish ports, İzmir Logistics Port has the opportunity for railway access. This makes foreign trade more practical and faster.
İzmit Port
İzmit Port, ranking second among Turkey’s ports and among the most developed ports, is frequently preferred in the logistics sector. Nearly all of the oil refinery is located in İzmit Logistics Port. Many shipyards located on İzmit Port also contribute to its growth.
Mersin Port
Mersin Port is of great importance for Turkey’s ports. It is located within the free trade zone area. Mersin Port is mostly preferred in the field of oil trade.
Samsun Port
Samsun Port attracts attention with its modern infrastructure. It has advanced loading and unloading systems, container terminals, storage areas, and logistics facilities. This infrastructure allows large ships and cargo to be processed easily. The port’s high capacity increases trade volume and supports regional economic growth.
Samsun Port is one of the main exit points for export products from various sectors. Many different goods such as agricultural products, industrial products, minerals, and energy products are exported through Samsun Port. The port plays an important role in Turkey’s foreign trade and contributes to the revitalization of the regional economy.
Sinop Port
Sinop Port is located in the northeast of the Black Sea, along Turkey’s coastline. Its geographical position provides a significant advantage both for inland maritime trade and international shipping. Sinop Port is also called the gateway to the Black Sea and is a transit point connecting the Middle East, Caucasus, and Eastern Europe.
Sinop Port plays an important role in Turkey’s economic development. It is a trade center where exports and imports take place. It has a modern structure capable of accommodating large ships, and the port facilities are equipped with cargo handling equipment and storage areas. This makes Sinop Port advantageous from a logistics perspective.
Sinop Port has a broad hinterland and land and rail connections with surrounding provinces. This increases the port’s trade potential. It enables the transportation of agricultural products, industrial materials, energy products, shipbuilding materials, and many other goods. In terms of trade volume, Sinop Port is one of Turkey’s important ports.
Trabzon Port
Trabzon Port is one of the most notable ports in the Black Sea Region. Located on the Iran transit trade route, Trabzon Port holds an important position among Turkish ports. Trabzon Port does not have a railway connection.
