The Turkish maritime industry currently includes various activities, including shipping, shipbuilding, logistics, and maritime services. In 2021, some 51,200 ships stopped at Turkish ports, and around 526.3 million metric tons of cargo were transported to various domestic and international locations.
Turkish Shipbuilding Industry
Turkey's geographic location and modern infrastructures have contributed to the shipbuilding sector's constant growth in recent years. Shipyards in Turkey employed roughly 79,900 people in 2021 and delivered 23 ships that same year. In addition to newly built ships, shipyards were also responsible for approximately 30 million deadweight tons of repair and maintenance output that year.Between 2011 and 2022, exports of cruise ships and similar ships for transporting goods and passengers brought the Turkish economy nearly seven billion U.S. dollars. In 2022, annual exports of these ships were valued at 568.5 million U.S. dollars. By comparison, that same year, tugs and pusher crafts worth 306.8 million U.S. dollars were exported by Turkey.
Port of Aliağa - Center of Turkish Ship-breaking
After serving 25 to 30 years, vessels reach the end of their operational lives. Instead of abandoning end-of-life ships, recycling them is an environmentally and financially good option since the majority of the materials can be recovered and reused. However, vessel dismantling carries risks to human health and to the environment. Therefore, shipbreaking is globally regulated by the IMO Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Nowadays, approximately 90 percent of global shipbreaking is done by Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China. However, Turkey is the only country that has companies on the European Union’s Green Ship Recycling List.Turkish ship recycling yards are located in Aliağa Port, which is an important hub for international trade. As of 2022, Aliağa Port of Turkey recycled 113 vessels. This figure was lower than the previous year’s shipbreaking volume due to local steel prices. Turkish companies are currently having difficulties selling recycled steel to the local steel mills due to the mill’s decreased production capacities as a result of spiking energy prices.