ISTANBUL

The Turkish Straits welcomed some 40,988 vessels in the first six months of the year, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told Anadolu.

“In January-June, some 19,381 ships passed through the Istanbul Strait, while some 21,607 ships transited via the Canakkale Strait,” he added.

The Turkish Straits - the Istanbul and Canakkale Straits - are two critical waterways in Türkiye, known globally as the heart of maritime traffic, as they connect Asia and Europe, forming a vital global trade route.

The minister said some 14,027 general cargo vessels and 7,278 bulk carriers used the straits, while the number of container ships reached 5,294, carrying a total of 754.6 million gross tons of cargo.

The number of ships calling at Turkish ports reached 29,444, with 9,880 Turkish and 19,564 foreign-flagged vessels carrying a total gross cargo of 463.8 million tons, according to the minister.

The northwestern province of Kocaeli had the most ships call at its port in the first six months of the year, totaling 4,564, with 1,295 Turkish and 3,269 foreign-flagged.

The number of ships hailing at Kocaeli was followed by the southwestern port of Aliaga in the Aegean Sea with 2,240 foreign and 835 domestic ships, Iskenderun port in the East Mediterranean with 1,788 foreign ships, and the port of Mersin in southern Türkiye with 1,631 foreign-flagged vessels.

Meanwhile, Ambarli port in the northwest received 800 Turkish-flagged ships, and the port of Marmara saw 734 domestic vessels.