IMEAK Chamber of Shipping (DTO) Izmir Branch’s September council meeting focused on the Izmir Alsancak Port. DTO Izmir Branch President Yusuf Öztürk stated that the port is visibly eroding and expressed his reaction to the absence of Izmir-based groups among those mentioned in relation to operating the port.
Öztürk noted that the number of containers handled at Izmir Alsancak Port is decreasing day by day, saying, “According to the Ministry’s statement, 5 of our ports are among the world’s top 100 ports. Our 5th port on the list, Aliağa, entered the list in 91st place. Aliağa handles 1 million 191 thousand TEU, while Izmir handles 155 thousand TEU. Alsancak port is getting worse every day. It is not possible for the port to continue like this; the numbers are clear.”
Addressing investors from Izmir and drawing attention to their lack of interest, Öztürk said, “We hear about the companies interested in the port. There are also new companies among them now. When the port’s initial privatization was first discussed in 2007, everything was normal. It could have been privatized. However, after the privatization phase, unfortunately, due to certain mechanisms and negative contributions from unions, similar to what happened in Alaçatı, obstacles were placed in front of the new acquiring company. While the port was being privatized for $1.275 billion, it was very valuable with a capacity reaching up to 900 thousand TEU; but it doesn’t have that value now. At the time of privatization, opinions were defended regarding the port’s existence and expansion. But I wonder where these people of Izmir are while the port is losing so much blood and its future is uncertain. Why was it turned a blind eye while this port was bleeding? If it was so important, how did it become so worthless now? No one is talking about the future of the port.”
Cruise tourism is improving
Expressing that cruise tourism is improving, Öztürk said, “In the January-August period, there was a 16.6% increase in the number of ships compared to last year. There was also a 10.8% increase in the number of passengers. By the end of August, 1 million 416 thousand passengers had arrived. It seems we will easily exceed 2 million by the end of 2025. Specifically for cruises, Kuşadası stands out: it brought 162 thousand tourists with 84 cruise ships, meaning an average of 3 ships per day. 109 thousand passengers arrived in Istanbul with 41 ships, and 27 thousand passengers arrived in Bodrum with 22 ships. The numbers are progressing in this way.
