Environmentally-friendly Dutch ports to be modeled in Turkey

İZMİR - Doğan New Agency

DHA photo

The leading country in marine and port projects in the world, the Netherlands, will be a model for Turkey’s ports within an environmentally-friendly Green Port implementation.

The Istanbul, Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions (IMEAK) Chamber of Shipping branch in the Aegean province of İzmir hosted representatives from Dutch consultancy companies in a seminar where the Port of Amsterdam and Dutch officials announced they were ready to boost ties with Turkey.

Having made the opening speech of the seminar, IMEAK İzmir branch board chairman Yusuf Öztürk announced the work for the Green Port Project has resumed, while 17 ports, including Egeports in Kuşadası, have applied to receive a Green Port certificate. Öztürk added Marport owned by Arkas Holding was the first to receive the certificate in Turkey.

Öztürk highlighted the Amsterdam and Rotterdam ports were also located in the city just like the Alsancak Port in İzmir, however the potential closure of these ports has never been brought to Netherland’s agenda, on the contrary, these ports have been growing every year with the support of new investments.

Dutch Green Port Consultancy Company STC-Nestra B.V. partner Rene Meeuws, on the other hand, added that even if the Green Port concept was costly, it survived with the interest of the public, which attracted new investments.

Port of Amsterdam official Jan Egbertsen stated the Rotterdam and Amsterdam Ports have similar traits with the İzmir Alsancak Port, due to their use by both passenger and cargo ships, and called on officials to be open to new sharing.

“Dutch investors could attract marine investments to the Aegean,” said Egbertsen.