Capacity of Turkey’s largest port to be expanded

By Zeynep Canli

ANKARA (AA) - The capacity of a port in Turkey’s southern Mersin province will be expanded from 2.8 million to 3.6 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), according to the country’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.

After completion of the expansion work, two mega container ships with a length of 400 meters (1,312 feet) will be able to dock at the same time at the Mersin International Port.

The wharf capacity will also be increased by 1 million TEU to reach 1.8 million TEU.

The expansion project will be launched on Saturday with a ceremony to be attended by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu.

According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency from the ministry, Mersin International Port is Turkey’s largest port with a surface area of 112 hectares (277 acres).

The port, which is one of the main container ports in the Mediterranean region with its transit and hinterland connections to the Middle East and Black Sea, also ranked 97th among the world’s largest container ports.

It meets a significant part of Turkey’s export and import, with its modern infrastructure and equipment, largest storage areas, trained human resources and proximity to the free trade zone.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Yunus Girgin in Ankara