Vedat Doğusel, the President of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Kocaeli Branch, stated during the January council meeting that the port with the highest import and export in 2025 is Derince, while a total of 9,206 vessels visited Kocaeli.

During the first council meeting of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Kocaeli Branch for the year 2026, President Vedat Doğusel evaluated Kocaeli's maritime trade data, saying, 'The realization of a total export of 45 billion 111 million dollars from the ports in Kocaeli in 2025 made us all happy. This increase clearly shows that Kocaeli is one of the most important cities in Turkey in terms of industry and logistics.'

The 40th Ordinary Council Meeting of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Kocaeli Branch for January 2026 was held in the branch council hall under the chairmanship of Council President Vefa İbrahim Aracı. After a moment of silence and the National Anthem, Aracı delivered the opening speech of the meeting, greeting the attendees and presenting the council agenda and program flow.

The agenda of the January council meeting was determined as '2026: Redrawing Maritime Routes.' The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Nalan Tekin, Dean of the Faculty of Maritime at Kocaeli University, Dr. Muhammed Bamyacı, Director of KOÜ Karamürsel Maritime Vocational School, Onur Sabri Durak, Faculty Member at ITU Faculty of Maritime, R. Ufuk Teker, General Manager and Board Member of Turkish P&I, members of the 36th Professional Committee of Gebze Chamber of Commerce, council members, representatives of NGOs, educators, student clubs, and stakeholders in the maritime sector.

In his opening speech at the first council meeting of the year, Vedat Doğusel, President of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Kocaeli Branch, drew attention to the economic and humanitarian impacts of the wars occurring in the world, stating, 'While the occupations and interventions happening at our borders lead to significant humanitarian devastation, the impact on the economy is also severe. Trust is diminishing, and production is slowing down. However, we, as Turkish mariners, continue to produce under all circumstances.'

Addressing the effects of the US interventions in Venezuela on maritime trade, Doğusel reminded that Venezuela has large oil reserves and expressed that the sanctions and military interventions imposed on this country will create significant changes in maritime routes and maritime safety.

Emphasizing the importance of preparedness against potential disasters at sea, Doğusel stated that the risks of disasters have increased with climate change and mentioned that they will increase training efforts for the sector in cooperation with AFAD and experts.

Highlighting Kocaeli's role in industry and logistics, Doğusel announced that exports from Kocaeli ports reached 45 billion 111 million dollars in 2025, marking a 9% increase compared to 2024. He also stated that imports increased by 5.2%, reaching 82 billion 75 million dollars during the same period.

Doğusel shared his impressions regarding the Boot Düsseldorf International Boat and Maritime Fair held in Germany, noting that projects such as diving tourism, Black Sea wrecks, and Kerpe Underwater Excavation and Research were promoted on an international platform.

According to the data from the Eastern Marmara Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate, Doğusel indicated that the highest exports in 2025 were made from Derince Customs Directorate, totaling 21 billion 325 million dollars, and he pointed out that Derince and Dilovası were also prominent in imports.

Doğusel reported that a total of 9,206 vessels visited Kocaeli ports in 2025, including 2,628 flagged under the Turkish flag and 6,578 under foreign flags, noting that Kocaeli ranks second in Turkey for container handling.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye