The İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Aliağa Branch held its August meeting, highlighting key developments and celebrating its 44th anniversary.
The Ordinary Assembly Meeting of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Aliağa Branch for the month of August was held under the chairmanship of Assembly President İsmail Önal, with the participation of the Board of Directors Chairman Adem Şimşek and branch assembly members. The meeting was also attended by Aliağa Regional Port Authority President Günhur Şanlı and Aliağa Marine Police Branch Director Kadir Şenocak.
During the session held in the branch meeting room, the minutes from the previous month were approved, and the balance sheet for June was presented to the assembly and accepted unanimously.
After sharing the activity report for August with the assembly members, Board of Directors Chairman Adem Şimşek made evaluations regarding the agenda. In his speech, Şimşek referred to the 44th anniversary of the establishment of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping and provided information about the current developments in the Aliağa maritime sector.
“OUR FLAGSHIP OF MARITIME CELEBRATES ITS 44TH ANNIVERSARY”
Şimşek stated that they would celebrate the 44th anniversary of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping, established on August 26, 1982, which has become one of the most important institutions in the Turkish maritime sector, with an event to be held at the end of the month. He expressed: “Happy 44th anniversary of our Chamber of Shipping, the flagship of our maritime industry. Since its establishment, our Chamber has made significant contributions to the development of Turkish maritime and the national economy. Together with our members, we continue to work with the same responsibility and determination to advance this rooted structure and leave a stronger Chamber for future generations. We respectfully and gratefully remember all our great leaders who contributed to the establishment of our Chamber and the development of Turkish maritime, especially the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who showed maritime as a great ideal for the Turkish nation.”
“ALİAPORT STRENGTHENS THE SECTOR”
In his speech, Şimşek also addressed developments in the Aliağa maritime sector, stating that the Aliağa Passenger Port (Aliaport) meets an important need in the sector by enabling the controlled, safe, and orderly operation of agency boats. He noted that the activation of the Aliağa–Lesbos line has also created significant activity in international passenger transportation in the district.
Şimşek said, “Aliaport meets an important need for our sector by enabling agency boats to operate in a controlled, safe, and orderly manner. Additionally, the launch of the Aliağa–Lesbos line has given our district a new momentum in international passenger transportation. In the short time since April, despite being the first season, reaching 35,000 passengers has exceeded our expectations. We believe that the contributions of Aliaport to both our maritime sector and Aliağa's international transportation and tourism potential will continue to grow in the upcoming period.”
ALİAĞA CONTINUES TO LEAD IN NET TONNAGE
Aliağa Ports continued to maintain their strong position in Turkish maritime trade during the first seven months of 2026. Evaluating the container and cargo statistics for the January–July period, İMEAK Chamber of Shipping Aliağa Branch Board Chairman Adem Şimşek stated that Aliağa continues to lead in net tonnage handling in Turkey.
Şimşek noted, “In the January–July period of 2026, the net tonnage handled at Aliağa ports amounted to 50 million 456 thousand 350 tons. This figure was 52 million 471 thousand 906 tons in the same period last year. Despite a decrease of 3.84% compared to the same period last year, Aliağa maintained its leading position across Turkey.”
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
