Maritime traffic surges in 2023, minister reports

ANKARA

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced an uptick in maritime traffic through the country's straits in 2023.

In a written statement released on Feb. 16, the minister disclosed that 83,892 ships traversed the Turkish straits last year, marking an 8.2 percent increase compared to the preceding year.

Out of these, approximately 39,000 vessels navigated through the Bosphorus, while around 45,000 utilized the Dardanelles route, the statement read.

The surge in maritime activity occurred despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Uraloğlu added.

"In 2024, maritime trade is forecast to expand by 2.1 percent, amounting to about 12.636 billion tons, which will have a positive impact on the traffic through the Turkish straits and the Black Sea," Uraloğlu affirmed.

Furthermore, he highlighted a notable increase in container handling at Turkish ports in 2023, contrary to global trends. The volume of containers processed at the ports has escalated by 2.5 percent in tons, reaching 133.46 million tons.

Moreover, the minister revealed a surge in cruise ship visits to Turkish ports in 2023, with a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year, totaling 1,192 cruise ship calls.

The number of cruise passengers visiting also soared by 52.6 percent, reaching 1.54 million, with western Kuşadası Port registering the highest number of cruise ship visits last year, totaling 531 calls.