President Doğusel highlights the impact of Middle East tensions on Kocaeli's maritime trade and industry during the March DTO meeting.
The regular assembly meeting of the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping (DTO) Kocaeli Branch for the month of March was held under the leadership of Assembly President Vefa İbrahim Aracı. During the meeting, the Chairman of the Board, Vedat Doğusel, made significant statements regarding the agenda and issued striking warnings about the reflections of the escalating tensions in the Middle East on regional shipping and industry.
Maritime Trade Under the Shadow of War
Doğusel pointed out that the military activity occurring along the line of the United States, Israel, and Iran threatens global logistics networks and emphasized the sensitivity of the industrial structure in Kocaeli and its surroundings. In his speech, Doğusel stated: 'Our regional industry is primarily based on imports followed by exports. The effects of the ongoing war could leave our region facing serious raw material issues. Economic contraction may become more painful due to these geopolitical crises emerging worldwide.'
Kocaeli Ports: The Locomotive of the Turkish Economy
Chairman Doğusel also shared updated data for the first two months of 2026 during the meeting. He highlighted the strategic importance of Kocaeli ports with figures, stating that 1,270 ships visited the city in January and February. He noted that a total of 12 million 804 thousand tons of cargo were handled during this period, emphasizing that this figure constitutes 14.5% of the total cargo traffic in Turkey.
Well-Attended Assembly
The meeting, which brought together representatives of the maritime sector, was attended by AK Party Kocaeli Deputy Prof. Dr. Sadettin Hülagü, Gulf District Governor Uğur Kalkar, Gulf Mayor Şener Söğüt, and Dean of the Faculty of Maritime at Kocaeli University Prof. Dr. Nalan Tekin. Additionally, the security risks in the Strait of Hormuz and the pressure of rising ship insurance costs on local exporters were discussed during the meeting.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
