THE tender to privatise the Turkish port of Alsancak, which is run by Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and handles the largest share of the country's exports, is to be launched in the first half of 2016.
Chamber of Shipping Izmir branch chairman, Yusuf Ozturk, was quoted as saying in a report by Daily Sabah: "We support every step that removes uncertainty on the future of the port of Alsancak. Despite dazzling competition conditions, the port continued to invest and serve; however, the competition became tougher."
The first initiative to privatise the port, located in the western province of Izmir, was made in 2006 and resulted in the Global-Hutchinson-Aegean Exporters' Union consortium offering US$1.275 billion for the port. However, as the approval process exceeded two years, the consortium backed off from the tender due to the global financial crisis.
The Ministry of Transportation has financed a $300 million renovation, enlargement and dredging project to increase the effectiveness of the port. When the work is completed, the port of Alsancak's container capacity will increase from 900,000 TEU to three million TEU annually, while liquid and bulk goods handling in the port will be halted.
The port, with its increasing workload, stretches Izmir's road and rail transport capacities, and has no surrounding area to enlarge its storage capacity and requires constant dredging to avoid shallowing.
Critics of the facility state that the port will be inadequate for accommodating mega ships with its average 13 metre depth and lack of manoeuvre area. The bays of Nemrut and Candarli in northern parts of Izmir were proposed to replace the port of Alsancak as the main port of the region.
PORTS
21 November 2015 - 00:18
Tender to privatise Turkey's port of Alsancak is set for 2016
THE tender to privatise the Turkish port of Alsancak, which is run by Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and handles the largest share of the country's exports, is to be launched in the first half of 2016.
PORTS
21 November 2015 - 00:18
Tender to privatise Turkey's port of Alsancak is set for 2016
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