The anatolian peninsula has hosted until today among cities such as Ephesus, Berga-
many different civilizations with its history of mo, Teos, Miletus, Aspendos which are on the
more than ten thousand years from the Paleo- list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
lithic period to the present. In this long period, Although the North Aegean Port has been
it has experienced very bright periods as well on the agenda for more than 30 years, it has not
as invasions, wars, epidemics, and earthquakes. come to life until today. Delay and failure of
Old cities were destroyed and new ones were re- commissioning of the North Aegean Port invest-
born. However, over the course of time, it has ment, which started at a time when the private
always had an important place on trade routes sector port business was just beginning to devel-
due to its geographical location between Asia op, caused many medium-sized ports to be put
and Europe. The Aegean coast, where the Asian into service. This development, which disrupts
continent ends, has many ancient port cities. the supply-demand balance in the region, start-
With its location consisting of many ports ed a debate on the necessity of the North Aegean
such as the North Aegean Port, İzmir City, one Port. With the spread of globalization, the in-
of the most ancient residential areas in Anatolia, creasing importance of transit loads and transit
has never lost its edge within its history exceed- ports has brought the North Aegean Port, which
ing 8,000 years. Probably, thanks to its feature, is planned to serve the transit load in the region,
only İzmir City has come as a metropolitan city into the agenda again.
Turkey’s Port Management Sector is container and 11% is general cargo. Since
2019, the ratio of RO-RO loads on a ton basis Turkey has 197 coastal resorts (such as piers, remained only 1% (Figure 1) (Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). moorings, dolfen, platforms etc included). 89 of these coastal facilities corresponding to 45% are in the Marmara Region, 45 corresponding to 23% in the Mediterranean Region, 35 corresponding to 18% in the Black Sea Region and 28 corresponding to 14% are in the Aegean Region (Oral, 2019Oral (2019). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). In 2019, 484.1 million tonnes of cargo were handled in total, which equals 224.8 million tons loading and 259.2 million tons unloading in Turkey’s ports. On a ton basis, 53.6% of the
cargo handled, including all cargo types (liquid Figure 1. Load distribution at ports in Turkey.
bulk cargo, container, etc.) and regimes (transit,
cabotage, etc.), is unloading and 46.4% is load- Since the 1980’s, container transportation
ing. In the last decade, cargo handled increased as a significant part of sea business has shown
by an annual average of 3.3% in Turkey's ports a rapid development in Turkey. Today, there are
(Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). 28 ports which serve container ships in Turkey.
32% of cargo handled in Turkish ports is A significant portion of these ports serve other
liquid bulk cargo, 31% is dry bulk cargo, 25% cargoes besides container loads (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Container handling ports in Turkey (Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.).
In addition, there are also some ports that do not provide container services, although container ships are included in the operating permits. Ports serving container loads are concentrated in the Marmara Region. There are 15 ports in total serving container loads in the Marmara Region. Ambarlı, İzmit Gulf and Gemlik, located in the Marmara Region, are important port centers serving container freight and ships. In 2019, the total number of containers handled at ports in Turkey was 11,750,660 TEU
(Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit). Foreign trade Figure 4. Container handling rates by regions
(Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). and cabotage container represent 8.5 million TEU, and transit containers 3.1 million TEU
(Figure 3). Mersin International Port, where 15.6% of
the cargo in Turkey is handled, maintains its first place by handling 1.9 million TEU. Marport Port ranked second with 1.7 million TEU and Asiaport Port third with 1.4 million TEU (Table 1).
Aegean Region Ports Cargo Volume Aegean Region Port Investments
In terms of value, more than 60% of Turkish Aegean Region is one of the most important
foreign trade is carried by sea routes and in agricultural, tourism, mining and industrial
terms of tonness, it is more than 80%. The Ae- regions in Turkey. Therefore, it has a great po-
gean Region ranks second after the Marmara tential for foreign trade. The Aegean Region can
Region in terms of foreign trade volume on the make very little use of current potential, howev-
basis of foreign currency. In 2019, 83.9 million er; it plays an important role in development of
tons of cargo were handled at 22 ports in the Turkey thanks to its suitable geography, agricul-
Aegean Region. 43.3% of the cargo handled on tural lands, wide agricultural product pattern,
a ton basis is liquid bulk cargo, 37.9% is general rich underground resources and rapidly grow-
cargo (+ dry bulk cargo) and 18.6% is container ing industry. The region needs ports that pro-
cargo (Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). vide a strong infrastructure of foreign trade in
The ratio of wheeled loads is only 2%. 1.7 order to be able to actualize its advantages in the
million of 7.7 million TEU (approximately most efficient way for the benefit of the country,
14.7%) handled in Turkey’s ports are handled in to increase Turkey’s exports and to transfer more
the Aegean Region ports (Figure 5) (MTI, 2020MTI (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). resources to the country's economy.
Increasing port capacity in the region with new investments will expand trade volume, increase employment and develop a qualified labor force. Depending on the increase in transportation facilities and opportunities, it will be easier to evaluate agricultural and commercial products.
Figure 5. Container handling in Aegean Region ports. Increasing port capacity in the region with
new investments will expand trade volume, in-
There are 4 ports (TCDD Izmir Port, Nem- crease employment and develop a qualified la-
port Port, Ege Gübre Port and Socar Container bor force. Depending on the increase in trans-
Terminal) serving container ships in the Aege- portation facilities and opportunities, it will be
an Region. Among the ports in the Aegean Re- easier to evaluate agricultural and commercial
gion, TCDD Izmir Port is the largest in terms products. New port investments are soon hoped
of both cargo volume and service diversity. to provide economic and social benefits, not
In 2019, 605 thousand TEU containers were only at the regional but also at the national level.
handled at TCDD Izmir Port (Türklim, 2020Türklim (2020). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). TCDD Izmir Port, which is the largest port
TCDD Izmir Port, previously operated publicly of the Aegean Region in terms of both capacity
is now at the privatization stage. and handling volume, has been serving the re-
gional industry since 1959. In order to meet the plan and feasibility study have been approved by
increasing freight volume in parallel with Tur- the relevant institutions and entered into force.
key’s economic development, the port was ex- The North Aegean (Çandarlı) Port has been
panded with work carried out starting in 1976. At planned to serve transhipment loads in order to
the end of the 2000s, the port exceeded its theo- meet increasing cargo volume in the long term.
retical capacity and reached the point of conges- The North Aegean Port Project site, where stud-
tion and started having difficulties in responding ies are carried out by the General Directorate of
to freight traffic in the region. In order to meet Infrastructure Investments of the Ministry of
the increasing load demand in the Aegean Re- Transport and Infrastructure, is located within
gion, the Ministry of Transport and the General the borders of Zeytindağ Municipality of Berga-
Directorate of DLH Construction developed the ma District. Located to the east of the Çandarlı
"Izmir Port Dredging and Extension Project" as a Gulf, which is 20 km long and 25 km wide, the
short- and medium-term solution and the "North region is 80 km from İzmir by highway and 55
Aegean Port Project" as a long-term solution. nautical miles by sea.
More than thirty years have passed since the location of the North Aegean Port was selected. However, it has never dropped from the country's agenda over this period. Delayed investment in the North Aegean Port caused new container terminals to be put into service in the region. In this context, Ege Gübre Port and Nemport Port were put into service in Aliağa District of İzmir Province in 2009 and Socar Container Terminal (operated by APM Terminalleri Liman North Aegean (Çandarlı) Port. (Sagisman, North Aegean Port website) İşletmeciliği A.Ş. until 2018) in 2016. The theoretical container handling capacity of the Aegean Region has reached 2.6 million TEU with the TCDD İzmir Alsancak Port has a 3,650 m
long dock, ranging from 10 to 13 m, and a port ports put into service (Oral, 2019: 89Oral (2019). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.).
area of 650,000 m2. The port can serve passenger
ships as well as general cargo, container, dry car- North Aegean (Çandarlı) Port
go and liquid cargo ships (Oral, 2011aOral (2011a). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). When the North Aegean Port’s construction is
In 2009, TCDD Izmir Port Operation Plan finished, which is expected to be tendered with
was prepared. In this study, the road map for the the Build-Operate-Transfer model, will have development of the port until 2035 was deter- 2,000 meters of dock and 1 million m2 of backmined (Oral, 2011bOral (2011a). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). In this context, necessary field. The breakwater construction of the port, infrastructure investments (dredging need, con-
struction of new berthing areas, strengthening which started in 2011, was completed in 2014.
of existing docks), superstructure investments The 1,500-meter-long breakwater, which was
and equipment investments are planned. In ad- built with a cost of 294 million Turkish Liras, was
dition, the detailed feasibility of the investments completely covered by the state budget (Çandarlı
in question has been prepared and the operation North Aegean Port website, n.d.).
A ship, arrived in Çandarlı Port crossing Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal will only cover 6,500 miles. (Sagisman, North Aegean Port website)
the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
The most important feature Thanks to this feature, it has an extremely con-
of the North Aegean Port is its venient position for transfer loads. The biggest
geographical location between the advantage of container transportation is that the
Eastern Mediterranean and the cargo is transferred to its recipient at suitable
Black Sea. Thanks to this feature, ports. The North Aegean Port is one of the most
it has an extremely convenient favourable locations for cargo to be transferred
position for transfer loads. to the Eastern and Middle Mediterranean, Ae-
gean and Black Sea countries. Thanks to its geo-
The North Aegean Çandarlı Port is planned graphical location, the port can reach more than
to be built in two phases. In the first phase, with thirty countries with very short transfer times.
a 1000 m quay line investment, approximate ca- With this feature, it is a candidate to be one of
pacity will be 2 million TEU. It is planned to the important transfer centers for the Belt and
reach 2,000 m quay line and 4,000,000 TEU Road Project.
capacity by the target year 2035 (Çandarlı Port Another distinctive feature of the North
CFCU, 2009). The total cost of investment in the Aegean Port is its large hinterland. In this way, it
offers a suitable site for the development of many project (for phase one) is 917 million Euros. The sectors such as chemical, automotive, electrical North Aegean Port project was put out to tender and electronics. The backyard of the port is un-
in November 2013, but investors were not inter- touched and not under the pressure of urbani-
ested in the tender because of uncertainties in zation. In the back field of the port, there is an
the tender specifications. area, more than 30 million m2, for industrial in-
The most important feature of the North vestment, mainly allocated to various industrial
Aegean Port is its geographical location between branches (Chemport, 2018Chemport (2018). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.).
The first condition for a port to be able to port capacity will reach 7 million TEU. With this
operate effectively and efficiently is to have ade- capacity volume, the region has the necessary
quate transportation facilities in the region. The infrastructure to become a global hub.
North Aegean Port has an excellent road con- The North Aegean Port is a project that can
nection. Thanks to the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, activate the great potential of the Aegean Region
which is under construction and set to open in in foreign trade. With this feature, it is an im-
2022, the port will also contribute to road transit portant opportunity both for potential investors
transportation, especially with Balkan countries. and those who want to expand their trade with
It is planned that the port will be connected to the countries that are under the influence of the
the national railway network by rail. For this North Aegean Port. Finally, it will be useful to
purpose, the necessary survey project works mention the importance of the North Aegean
were carried out by the General Directorate of Port and the existing or near future port and
Infrastructure Investments. logistics village facilities in the Aegean and the
Mediterranean in the context of the Belt-Road
Conclusion and Assessment Initiative (BRI).
Throughout its history of more than eight thou-
sand years, İzmir has never lost its feature of be- Turkey, in particular the Aegean
ing a port city and has played an important role Region, with its unique location
in Asia's trade with Europe for many years. The may serve as a "production base".
biggest reason is its location on main transpor- It thus has a function beyond just
tation routes. Thanks to its location, İzmir is a being the logistics center where
candidate to become a global logistics center in goods from the Far East are shipped
the future. to Europe, Black Sea Basin, Western
An important share of industrial invest- Mediterranean and North Africa
ments have shifted to the Marmara Region in after they are handled.
the last thirty years. As a result, there has been a
slowdown in the Aegean Region industry. How- Turkey, especially the Aegean Region, has
ever, the opening of the Izmir - Istanbul highway become prominent with its unique features for
BRI. While, Turkey is located in the middle of has created new opportunities for the region. Europe, Asia and Africa, Izmir City with the Urbanization in the city has accelerated and the whole Aegean Region is at the “Middle Corrinumber of companies investing in the region has dor”s west side. The location is just like New Silk increased. The recovery in the industry has in- Road’s west gate. creased private port investments, Nemport, Ege Turkey functions as an intersection and
Gübre Port and finally Socar Terminal were put transit corridor linking the Mediterranean and
into service. These three ports in Aliağa Gulf are Black Sea Basin, as well as building a bridge be-
12 nautical miles away from the North Aegean tween East and West. Turkey, in particular the
Port project. Therefore, Aliağa Region ports are Aegean Region, with its unique location may
the terminals of a single port with different oper- serve as a "production base". It thus has a func-
ators. When considered in terms of total loading tion beyond just being the logistics center where
volume, the region has a port capacity exceeding goods from the Far East are shipped to Europe,
3 million TEU together with TCDD Izmir Port. Black Sea Basin, Western Mediterranean and
With the opening of the North Aegean Port, the North Africa after they are handled.
Companies which invest in the Aegean Re- where goods can be both produced and shipped
gion, primarily from China and other New Silk as a result of cooperative efforts made in the Ae-
Road countries will obtain a significant logisti- gean Region and other regions in line with the
cal and competitive advantage by procuring their basic principles and targets of BRI.
goods from a region very close to the aforemen- When considered from this point of view,
tioned markets, rather than shipping them from it is obvious that the North Aegean Port has no
distant ports and logistics areas in the Pacific Basin. rival. The North Aegean Port and other Turkish
Moreover, particularly applicable for Chi- ports offer a unique opportunity to access the
nese companies, the tax exemption granted to world’s most strategic regions and markets.
established industrial companies in Turkey as References a result of the Customs Union Agreement be- Chemport. (2018). General Evaluation of North Aegean
tween Turkey and the European Union (EU) Port for Chemical Sector.
offers a huge advantage. Thanks to exemptions Çandarlı North Aegean Port Website. (n.d.). Founding
from customs duties on goods produced in Tur- purpose. Retrieved from https://
candarlikuzeyegelimani.com/proje/ key and exported to EU countries, the Chinese Çandarlı Port CFCU. (2009). IPA Form.
companies that invest in Turkey will not be sub- Oral, E. Z. (2011a). TCDD İzmir Limanı Yaklaşım
ject to anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU Kanalı Taraması ve II. Kısım Konteyner Terminali
Fizibilite Raporu. on certain goods of Chinese origin. Oral, E. Z. (2011b). TCDD İzmir Alsancak Limanı
In the light of the brief assessment above İşletme Planının Hazırlanması Danışmanlık Raporu.
(and in the context of BRI), it would be appro- TCDD.
priate to improve the general perspective regard- Oral, E. Z. (2019). Türklim Turkey’s Ports Capacity
Report.
ing the North Aegean Port. The North Aegean Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport and
Port is more than just a transfer port for goods Infrastructure (MTI). (2020). Statistics of container.
from China and other Far East countries. In a Retrieved from https://denizcilikistatistikleri.uab.gov.
tr/konteyner-istatistikleri
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tential and privilege to become a strategic port 2020.
