Mersin Port’s capacity to be increased to 3.6 million TEU

ANKARA

Under a new expansion project, the capacity of a major port in the Mediterranean province of Mersin will be increased from 2.6 million TEU and 3.6 million TEU, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced.

Mersin Port handles 22 percent of Türkiye’s exports in container cargo and 7 percent in conventional cargo, Uraloğlu noted.

“The port is an import and export gate for Türkiye’s Central Anatolia, Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia regions as well as a transit center for Middle Eastern countries,” the minister said.

Mersin Port is the most important connection point to Türkiye’s leading industrial cities as well as Iraq, Syria and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and is connected to the Turkish cities and Middle Eastern countries by land, air and railways, he added.

Stressing that the Mersin Port plays an important role in the country's maritime trade, Uraloğlu said that 31.45 million tons of cargo were handled at the port in 2023, which corresponded to 6 percent of all cargo handled at the Turkish ports.

“With the completion of the Mersin Port Expansion Project, two 400-meter mega ships will dock at the same time at the 880-meter dock, the minister said, adding that expansion work is expected to be completed in 2026.