The Merson International Port (MIP) has become the first port in Turkey to exceed 2 million TEU in a single year, according to terminal operator PSA International.
MIP achieved this record despite suffering a drop in traffic at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and attributed its rapid recovery in the second half of 2020, alongside Turkey’s rising exports of raw materials.
MIP General Manager Johan Van Daele, said, “This achievement is a first for Turkey. Turkey, like many other countries, was hit hard by the Covid pandemic.
“MIP’s first priority in this crisis was to protect the health and safety of its employees and port users.
“Notwithstanding the many safety measures taken, MIP has succeeded in continuing to offer its customers the best possible service.
“I would like to thank all of our stakeholders for their support and for their contribution. It is the professionalism and dedication of our employees, our customers, and all the public, NGO and private-sector representatives, that have enabled Mersin Port to become the major logistic hub in the region and the country.”
MIP is connected via railways and highways with Turkey’s industrialized cities, such as Ankara, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Kahramanmaraş and Konya, and with bordering countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is one of the main container ports in the Mediterranean Region, with its transit and hinterland connections with the Middle East and the Black Sea.
