Number of Ships Calling at Türkiye Ports Hits Highest Level in Last 7 Years

According to data compiled from the Türkiye Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, the number of ships calling at Turkish ports has continued its upward trend since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, this figure was recorded as 55,448. During the pandemic, the number dropped below 40,000, but rose to 43,164 in 2022 and 45,605 in 2023.

In the first nine months of this year, the number of ships calling at Türkiye ports increased by 2.8% compared to the same period last year, reaching 47,630. In the January–September period of last year, the figure stood at 46,317.

This year’s nine-month total represents the highest number of ship calls recorded in the past seven years.

During this period, the gross tonnage of ships calling at ports amounted to 723,215,121 GT. Of these vessels, 16,777 were Türkiye-flagged.

The number of foreign-flagged ships calling at Türkiye ports in the January–September period was 30,853.

Most Vehicles Transported on European Routes

The number of vehicles transported via Ro-Ro ships on international routes also increased in the first nine months of this year.

While 519,354 vehicles were transported in the January–September period of last year, this figure rose by 4.2% to 541,003 in the same period this year. Of these, 269,620 vehicles arrived in Türkiye, while 271,383 departed.

A large portion of the vehicles using international routes were transported from European ports. Of the more than 540,000 vehicles transported via Ro-Ro ships in the first nine months of the year, 391,292 were transferred through European routes such as Trieste, Valencia, and Marseille.

The number of vehicles transported between Türkiye ports and Black Sea ports such as Tuapse, Novorossiysk, and Constanta was recorded as 65,630 during the same period.