According to data compiled from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, Kocaeli plays a critical role in Türkiye’s global vehicle logistics not only with its importance in automotive production but also with its port infrastructure.
During the January-June period, a total of 911,843 automobiles and other vehicles were handled at port facilities across Türkiye on international routes. Of these vehicles, 661,107 were processed at Kocaeli ports. Thus, Kocaeli accounted for 72.5 percent of Türkiye’s international maritime vehicle transportation.
Safi Derince Port ranked first in vehicle traffic
Among the port facilities in Kocaeli, the highest vehicle activity was recorded at Safi Derince Port with 178,966 vehicles. This was followed by Autoport with 176,001 vehicles, Port Yarımca with 133,802 vehicles, Ford Otosan Yeniköy Pier with 88,228 vehicles, and Efesanport Port Facility with 84,110 vehicles.
Autoport and Ford Otosan Yeniköy Pier stood out in export operations. In the first six months, 132,406 vehicles were shipped abroad from Autoport, while 83,839 vehicles were exported from Ford Otosan Yeniköy Pier.
On the import side, the highest vehicle entries were recorded at Port Yarımca and Safi Derince Port. A total of 99,495 vehicles at Port Yarımca and 98,555 vehicles at Safi Derince Port were processed as part of import operations.
Kocaeli expanded its Ro-Ro connections
Kocaeli also launched new routes in regular international Ro-Ro transportation during the first half of the year. While transportation on the previously used Koper and Antwerp routes was not carried out during this period, new regular Ro-Ro connections were established to Italy’s Gioia Tauro and Monfalcone ports and Morocco’s Casablanca Port.
Between January and June, 527 vehicles were transported between Kocaeli and Gioia Tauro, 413 vehicles between Monfalcone, 208 vehicles between Spain’s Valencia Port, and 222 vehicles between Casablanca. All transportation on the Casablanca route consisted entirely of export cargo.
Strong performance in port operations
In addition to vehicle logistics, Kocaeli remained among Türkiye’s leading centers in overall port operations.
During the first half of the year, 4,205 ships called at ports around the Gulf of İzmit. During the same period, a total of 42,176,756 tons of cargo were handled at the city’s ports, while container throughput was recorded at 1,271,497 TEU.
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