Anamur ferry begins carrying passengers to Turkish Cyprus

MERSİN

Officials have formally launched the ferry services from the southern province of Mersin’s Anamur district to Turkish Cyprus on Aug. 2.

The service had already begun on June 12, with the journey taking about an hour and a half to complete.

“Since June 12, the high-speed light passenger ship Piyale Paşa has carried 6,841 passengers. Without a doubt, the project's launch will have a significant positive impact on the local economy and tourism industry in our district and region,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said in his remarks at the opening ceremony.

Emphasizing that they officially had Anamur Port certified as an international port, the minister noted that the 350-meter-long pier was constructed to accommodate the mooring of passenger boats, yachts, ferries and seaplanes.

“We shall keep up our relentless efforts, guided by our President [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan], to strengthen our position in the blue motherland and the standing of our sailors serving in the worldwide sphere. We shall triumphantly fly the flag and name of our nation in the seas across world,” the minister said.

“Remember that as the importance of the sea and maritime industries increases, so too will the Republic of Türkiye expand and strengthen. With this in mind, I hope that both Turkish Cyprus and our nation, particularly Anamur and Mersin, would benefit from the Anamur Ferry and Seaplane Pier."

Making a speech at the event, Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan also expressed that this opening ceremony marked such an event that had both spiritual and economic significance.

“This line, starting from our port in Anamur, will be a connection to Turkish Cyprus. It has great significance in this regard,” he said.

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), also echoed the minister and the governor’s statements in his remarks at the opening ceremony.

“We shall become closer to Turkish Cyprus with the start of ferry services. We'll fortify our economic networks, and it will quicken regional development as well. It will thereby enhance the development in Cyprus and Anamur,” Hisarcıklıoğlu said.

Marking another significant development for the city, Çukurova International Airport is scheduled to open on Aug. 10, expected to cater to 5 million residents living in Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Niğde provinces.

The passengers from these provinces will travel through Çukurova International Airport as of Aug. 11, according to Turkish Airlines' (THY) announcement.