Anamur ferry to carry passengers to Turkish Cyprus in June

MERSİN

Ferry services will commence from the southern province of Mersin’s Anamur district to Turkish Cyprus in June with the “Pier Project,” reducing the travel time to an hour-and-a-half.

Speaking to the press during his visit to the pier on May 30, Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan highlighted that Anamur is the closest point in Türkiye to North Cyprus.

Local authorities have leased a ferry with a capacity of 450 passengers, which will commence passenger transportation sometime in June, the governor announced, without specifying an exact date.

Passengers will be able to travel from the pier in Anamur to Kyrenia port in Turkish Cyprus in just an hour-and-a-half, he said.

The initiation of ferry services will be followed by recreational boat trips, enhancing tourism, Pehlivan disclosed.

"Anamur is a district with huge tourism potential. We have timely endowed this pier with a function," the governor stated.

"Road works to increase tourism activity, coupled with sea transportation here, will not only serve Anamur but also neighboring districts and even inland Anatolian cities from Antalya to Karaman, Konya to Adana and Niğde."

The governor mentioned that the area was built in 2019 as a ferry and seaplane terminal, and a building for units was constructed in 2021.

"Since its establishment, we have sought to imbue this place with a function. We held meetings to ensure it serves its intended purpose appropriately."

"As the Mersin Governor’s Office, we expressed interest in taking over the management from the ministry. Last year, with the ministry's approval, we acquired the transfer. Institutions and the business community in the district formed an alliance, establishing a company. We engaged in detailed discussions and granted operational rights to this company through leasing," he concluded.