Turkish Minister dreams of Silk Road on Aegean

IZMIR - Hürriyet Daily News

A wide port to be built in the coastal town of Çandarlı, a northwestern tourism destination, will help boost foreign trade, Minister Binali Yıldırım says.

The western province of İzmir, one of the most industrialized Turkish cities, could be the center of Europe-Asia trade with the North Aegean Port, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım said yesterday.

The construction of the port is underway in the town of Candarlı and will create a “Silk Road of the sea,” Yıldırım said in a written statement, referring to the historical trade route between Europe and Asia.
The port will generate some 700 million Turkish Liras in revenues for the province, he added.

İzmir is a city that produces serious inputs for the Turkish economy, thus its infrastructure problems should be solved, he said.

İzmir is one of the leading cities where the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aims to win at the polls in March 2014, although main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) mayors have governed the city since 1999.

Operative next year

The North Aegean Port was a part of the government’s decade-long transportation projects, Yıldırım said, adding that this would turn İzmir into a trade center.

The port will be one of the 10 largest in the world at completion, the minister said, adding that the first ship would dock there next year.