ABSTRACT
The major ports under the control of the government are either owned and operated by Turkish State Railways or by the Turkish Maritime Organisation. Ports under the control of municipalities tend to be comparatively small and are limited to a small volume of coastal traffic serving the local needs of coastal cities and towns. Approximately 90% of the total cargo handled at state owned ports in Turkey is handled at the Ports of the Turkish State Railways. The Port of Istanbul is situated in the city centre of the most industrialised and the biggest metropolitan city in Turkey. The Port of Izmir is situated in the city centre of the second industrialised and the second biggest metropolitan city in Turkey. In a similar fashion to the Ports of Istanbul and Izmir, the Port of Mersin is also one of Turkey’s most important ports stemming in particular from its location on the Mediterranean Sea to the south of the country.
